Economic Forecasts Remain Sceptical. Results of the WIFO-Konjunkturtest (Business Cycle Survey) of February 2021

The mood among Austrian companies remains sceptical. The WIFO business climate index continued to be negative in February at –11.0 points (seasonally adjusted), almost unchanged from the previous month. Companies remained very cautious in their assessments of the current situation. Although expectations rose slightly compared to the previous month, they did not show any clear improvement. The second COVID-19 wave continues to keep the Austrian economy firmly in its grip. In sectors that are directly or indirectly strongly affected by the COVID-19 restrictive measures, the mood is bad.