SEOUL, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment for South Korean businesses over the economic situation worsened this month amid the continued Middle East tensions, central bank data showed Friday.
The composite business sentiment index (CBSI) in all industries fell 0.1 point over the month to 94.1 in March after going up 0.2 points in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The CBSI among manufacturers was unchanged at 97.1, while the index for non-manufacturers decreased 0.2 points to 92.0.
The weakened sentiment was attributed to rising raw material prices and heightened uncertainty, caused by tensions in the Middle East that offset favorable exports in tech products such as semiconductors.
The CBSI continued to stay below the long-term average of 100 amid the lingering economic uncertainties.
The result was based on a survey of 1,790 manufacturers and 1,433 non-manufacturers conducted between March 11 and 18.
Manufacturers selected economic uncertainty, higher raw material prices and weak domestic demand as key barriers to doing business, while non-manufacturers picked faltering consumer demand, uncertain economic situations and higher commodity prices.
The economic sentiment index (ESI), which reflects sentiment among both businesses and consumers, stood at 94.0 in March, down 4.8 points from a month earlier. ■
