Eurozone economic sentiment back near average
The Associated Press, London | Thu, 01/28/2010 5:10 PM
Economic sentiment in the 16 countries that use the
euro rose in January for the tenth month running to near its
long-term average, the European Commission said Thursday.
In its monthly survey of economic conditions, the Commission said
its economic sentiment indicator rose by 1.6 points in the eurozone
to 95.7, largely because of an improvement in the industrial sector.
At its low point in March, the indicator stood at 70.6.
The Commission said Italy and the Netherlands saw the biggest
improvements in sentiment during January whereas in Germany, France
and Spain the advance was modest.
For the wider 27-country EU, which includes non-euro members like
Britain and Sweden, the economic sentiment indicator rose by 2.1
points to 97.1. As in the eurozone, that was the tenth straight rise
from March's trough of 68.
