Dusseldorf (dpa / lnw) – Due to the high energy prices and the impending gas shortage, the mood in the North Rhine-Westphalian economy deteriorated significantly in July. “North Rhine-Westphalian companies are currently seriously concerned about the economy – and there are several factors that are simultaneously weighing on them,” said the head of NRW.Bank, Eckhard Forst, on Thursday, summarizing the results of a survey of around 1,500 companies . These factors included possible bottlenecks in the energy supply as well as high inflation, declining consumer spending and ongoing delivery problems.
In July, the NRW.Bank.ifo business climate fell to its lowest level since the Corona crisis two years ago, he reports. According to the economic indicator, all sectors are expecting significantly worse business in the coming months.
According to the survey, the climate has clouded over most in the main construction trades. The background is a slump in orders, which is likely to hamper construction activity in the future. But the mood has also deteriorated significantly in the service sector. The hospitality industry suffered the strongest slump here, where the post-pandemic euphoria has largely evaporated. In industry, the order backlog fell to its lowest level in over two years. In retail, sales have recently fallen short of expectations.
