Heavy snow and manpower shortage lead to stagnant corporate activities
- Domestic economy worsened for the first time in a year and a month, a pause in the expansion trend -
(Companies researched: 23,173 ; Valid responses: 10,070 ; Response rate: 43.5%; Survey start date: May 2002)
Overview of February 2018: A pause in the expansion trend
The economic diffusion index (DI) in February 2018 was 50.3, down 0.8 points from the previous month, a downturn for the first time in a year and a month, since January 2017, although it remained in the 50s range. In the domestic economy’s continuing expansion trend, heavy snow, an escalating manpower shortage, and an increase in the cost burden caused downward pressure and stalled the expansion trend.
Future outlook: Expansion continues
While the expansion in the domestic economy is expected to continue, with the corporate sector such as export and capital investment leading the way, the trend in the financial market has to be closely monitored.
