Despite the lockdown, the German economy is again looking more confidently into the future.
This is shown by the Ifo Business Climate Index.
But the assessments differ widely.
Munich - In the German executive suite, confidence is growing again after the most recent setback in January.
The ifo business climate index rose surprisingly sharply to 92.4 points in February, as the Munich research institute announced on Monday.
The Corona * high of 93.2 points from last September is now within reach again.
Despite the lockdown, the German economy is showing itself to be robust, "mainly because of the strong industrial activity," summarized Ifo President Clemens Fuest.
In January the index fell from 92.2 to 90.3 points compared to the previous month.
According to the Ifo researchers, the economic recovery was slowed down mainly by the second corona wave.
In February, however, the assessments of the current business situation were more positive.
In addition, the pessimistic voices "have become significantly less" with a view to the coming months, explained Fuest.
Ifo Business Climate: Hospitality on the Ground
The index made a significant leap upwards in the manufacturing sector and reached its highest value since November 2018. The business climate indicator also rose in the service sector.
The situation remains "difficult" for the hospitality industry, explained Fuest.
In the tourism industry, on the other hand, there is “for the first time again cautious optimism with a view to the holiday season”.
In the retail sector, too, the business climate index rose slightly after the previous month's slump.
The expectations are still pessimistic, but not as strong as in the previous month.
The current situation, on the other hand, was assessed as worse by dealers because of the slump in sales due to the lockdown.
Ifo business climate: mood improvement in construction
According to the Ifo Institute, the business climate in the construction industry also improved - in particular due to less pessimistic expectations.
The current situation was assessed somewhat worse by the construction companies, "mainly because of the unusually cold weather".
For the business climate index, the institute surveys around 9,000 companies every month.
They are asked to assess their current business situation and to state their expectations for the next six months.
The index is the most important economic indicator for the German economy.
(dpa / AFP / utz) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network.
