Managers' predictions: output will grow, but so will prices

Activities and prices in the industry sector, retail trade and services will rise in the next two months, according to estimates made by company managers in September. According to data supplied by the National Statistics Institute, managers of factories operating in the processing industry estimate a rising trend in production volume, both in terms of the total volume (plus 19% cyclical balance), and in terms of groups of companies, ranked by size. Most optimistic are the managers from enterprises that have 250 to 499 employees (plus 26% cyclical balance). Overall, the number of employees in the processing industry will tend to stabilise, according to 77% of those surveyed. The prices of industrial products will continue to grow (plus 20% cyclical balance). Managers predict a stabilising trend in production volume and in the stock of contracts and orders in the construction sector (66% and 69% respectively, of the total of opinions expressed). The stabilisation trend for the sector as a whole is also expected for the number of employees, according to 76% of the estimates.