The following is an archive of Electroindustry Business Confidence Indices for 2003.

December 2003
December marks the second consecutive month in which the current conditions index for all four regions measured above 50 points. The breadth of confidence weakened somewhat in North America and Asia/Pacific but expanded in Latin America while Europe remained essentially unchanged. Confidence in the North America market contracted from 84 in November to 79 this month, and the current conditions index for Asia/Pacific moved from 75 to nearly 69 in December. Meanwhile, Europe held steady near 56 points and Latin America’s index value expanded from 59 last month to 69.5 currently. Full Report ( 237k)

November 2003
For the first time since the inception of the EBCI, the current conditions indexes for all four regions have exceeded the growth threshold of 50 index points. Confidence in business conditions in Europe, which had not been above 50 since April 2001, finally vaulted past the growth threshold with an index value of 56 in November. Index scores in North America and Latin America reflected a greater breadth of confidence compared to last month, and the index for Asia/Pacific held steady at 75 points. With the exception of Europe, the November numbers are record highs for all regions. Full Report ( 242k)

October 2003
October’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index records the third consecutive month in which the current conditions index remained above 50, which is the threshold indicating conditions are favorable for growth, in all regions except Europe. Confidence in business conditions for three of the four regions was slightly more widespread than in September. Latin America was the only region to see a decline in the current conditions index. Full Report ( 188k)

September 2003
For the second consecutive month, the current conditions index remained above 50, the threshold indicating conditions are favorable for growth, in all regions except Europe. Compared to last month’s index, the breadth of confidence in current business conditions increased in Latin America, but narrowed in the other three regions. The future conditions index values also showed no substantive change from the August results, with all four regions reading above 50 index points. Even with this positive outlook for conditions six months from now, business conditions in Europe bear watching as this region was the only one to record a narrowing of the breadth of confidence when compared to the August results. Full Report ( 235k)

August 2003
With the exception of Europe, the Electroindustry Business Confidence Index for current conditions was above 50 in all regions in August. The index of conditions six months from now was above 50 in all four regions. Now that SARS threats and uncertainty regarding U.S. intentions in Iraq have diminished, the natural tendency for economies to expand may finally have an opportunity to take hold around the globe. Going forward, the economic fortunes of Latin America and Europe will be tied to the economies in North America and the Asia/Pacific region, which remain vulnerable to the usual threats of epidemics, disasters, terrorism, and wars.  Full Report ( 243k)

July 2003
Business confidence in current conditions affecting the electroindustry remained constant or edged slightly higher in July compared to June in all regions of the world except Asia/Pacific, where the confidence index rebounded dramatically from a SARS related plunge that began in February 2003. The current conditions index was above 50 in North America and Asia/Pacific, but remained below 50 in Latin America and Europe. The business confidence index for conditions six months from now was above 50 in July for all regions, with confidence widening from June for all regions except Latin America.   Full Report ( 183k)

June 2003
As the ripple effects of the Iraqi conflict and the outbreak of SARS continued to diminish, business confidence in current conditions affecting the electrical manufacturing industry nevertheless weakened to varying degrees in June across all regions except Latin America. As in May, only the confidence index for North America remained above the threshold level of 50 indicating conditions conducive for expansion. By contrast, confidence in conditions six months from now widened in all regions except Europe, and the index for all regions remained at or above 50 for all regions except Europe. Most comments by respondents focused on the persistent weakness in the industrial and nonresidential construction sectors of the U.S. economy.   Full Report ( 179k)

May 2003
Although the breadth of confidence in Latin America and Europe has expanded since the April survey, those regions are still well below the level that would suggest conditions are favorable to growth. Largely due to the tenacity of SARS, the Asia/Pacific region slipped in both the current and future conditions indexes. The EBCI panel’s expectations for North America, Latin America, and Europe remain relatively optimistic as all three regions measured above 50 on the future conditions indexes that are used to gauge confidence in economic conditions six months from now.  Full Report ( 180k)

April 2003
The percentage of respondents reporting better or unchanged conditions currently affecting the electroindustry increased slightly in April 2003 compared to the previous month for North America and Europe.  By contrast confidence in current conditions in Latin American markets softened while survey results for Asia/Pacific markets remained unchanged.  Once again, confidence levels in current conditions for all regions remained at or below the theoretical growth threshold of 50.  Meanwhile confidence in conditions affecting markets six months from now remained above the threshold of 50 in all markets and widened from March 2003 levels for all regions except Asia/Pacific, for which confidence weakened slightly.  Full Report ( 27k)

March 2003
For the first time since February 2002, the indexes of current economic conditions affecting electrical manufacturers in all four regions were at or below the threshold level of 50 typically associated with conditions conducive to expansion.  The index for the last holdout of hope for expansion in the near term, Asia, slipped to 50 in March 2003 from 52 in the preceding month.  By comparison, the indexes for conditions in six months were all above 50 for the first time since October 2002.  Full Report ( 49k)

February 2003
Only Asia/Pacific reached a level above 50 in the current conditions index, but even there the breadth of confidence diminished. By contrast, the index of confidence in conditions six months from now equaled or exceeded 50 in all four regions.  Full Report 
(48k)

January 2003
For both current and future business conditions North America and Asia/Pacific are viewed positively. The diffusion indexes for Latin America and Europe, both currently and six months ahead, are in the pessimistic range below 50. Considering all four regions in terms of current and future conditions, only the current conditions index for North America demonstrated a measurable increase in breadth of confidence.  Full Report ( 46k)