In August compared with the value of the previous month, the three-months moving average of the economic sentiment indicator (ESI) increased by 1,3 points to 96,6. Confidence increased the most in services, slightly less in industry. By contrast, it decreased among consumers and in trade. It remained relatively stable in construction. ESI is currently lagging behind the long-term average by 7 points and behind the value of the corresponding period last year by 3,3 points.

In August, the confidence indicator in industry increased by 3 percentage points to -8. The development of the indicator was favourably influenced mainly by the increase of the expected production over the next three months and by the increase of orders. In August compared with the previous month, the confidence indicator in construction increased by 0,5 points to -17,5 due to more favourable evaluations of the overall level of order books. The current result is exceeding the long-term average by 7,5 points. In August compared with July, confidence indicator in trade decreased by 3 percentage points to 17 as a result of negative evaluations of the current and expected business activities. In August compared with July, after the two-month´s growth, the confidence indicator in services maintained its positive trend, its value (13) increased by 11 percentage points. The indicator´s development was affected by favourable evaluations of all its three components.

In August, the consumer mood in Slovakia deteriorated. The seasonally adjusted indicator of consumer confidence, decreased by 3,5 points to -7,6. The consumers were more pessimistic in all the four indicator components, the most in the saving perspectives of households and unemployment and slightly less in the expectations of the financial situation of households and the general economic situation. The respondents were less optimistic by 4,1 points than in the corresponding period last year and the current result is exceeding the long-term average.