WHILE MANY companies are uncertain or pessimistic over the operating environment, there has been a marked improvement in sentiment, according to Ibec, the group that represents Irish business.
The results of its sentiment survey for Q1 2010 show that 17 per cent of companies expect the business environment in three months’ time to be good or very good, compared with only 6 per cent in Q4 2009.
The share expecting the environment to be poor or very poor is down to 49 per cent from 62 per cent in the previous quarter.
In the first quarter of 2010, 25 per cent rated their own business as good or very good, compared with 17 per cent in the last quarter of 2009.
The share rating their business as poor or very poor has declined to 41 per cent from 52 per cent in Q4 2009.
Though the outlook in relation to employment has improved, more companies still expect to decrease employee numbers (29 per cent) than expect to increase staff (16 per cent). The labour marker appears nonetheless to be stabilising.
Ibec director general Danny McCoy said: “The results of the Ibec business sentiment survey tally with other recent positive data, which signal that the business sector has turned a corner.”
