In October 2022, the consumer confidence index decreased from 94.8 to 90.1. Looking at its components, particularly marked negative signals came from the current and the personal confidence climate indices whose values fell, in fact, from 96.9 to 91.0 and from 99.3 to 94.3, respectively. The economic confidence index and the future one also worsened passing from 81.3 to 77.6, the first one and from 91.8 to 88.8 the second one.
Regarding the business confidence climate, the index (IESI, Istat Economic Sentiment Indicator) lessened from 105.1 to 104.5.
The confidence climate in manufacturing went down from 101.2 to 100.4. More specifically, assessments on order books worsened, while expectations on future production slightly recovered (the related balances passed from -6.0 to -8.2 and from -2.3 to -1.7, respectively). As for assessments on inventories, the balance of the variable grew from 3.1 to 3.9.
The confidence climate in construction deteriorated from 159.5 to 157.5. Firms reported in slight improving the expectations on employment (the balance of the variable went up from 5.3 to 5.8) but in significant worsening the assessments on order books/construction (the related balance diminished from 5.5 to 2.3).
The market services confidence index remained substantially stable moving from 95.8 to 95.9. Slight improvement emerged from both expectations on order books and assessments on business trend (the balances of the variables rose a little passing from -8.1 to -7.9 and from 2.7 to 3.3, respectively), while some concern emerged from the assessments on order books (the related balance slipped from 3.5 to 2.8).
The retail trade confidence showed a further deterioration moving from 110.5 to 108.7. In particular, unfavourable signals came from both assessments on current business trend and expectations on future sales (the related balances continued to deteriorate passing from 20.0 to 18.4 and from 17.9 to 16.3, respectively). Lastly, inventories slightly increased (the related balance went up from -1.2 to 0.9).