Signs of Economic Rebound are Increasing. Business Cycle Report of September 2009

The global economy is slowly improving. After economic output in the USA and the EU contracted at a slower pace in the second quarter, industrial activity is likely to have bottomed out in the summer. The inventory cycle, along with fiscal policy measures, is also stabilising the global economy. Economic conditions in Austria should also improve in the second half of this year. According to WIFO's August business cycle survey, production expectations have brightened for the fifth time in a row. Unemployment, as expected, continues to rise, however. The cyclically sensitive manufacturing and construction sectors remain particularly affected.