The Swiss economy continues to register negative signals, suggesting that a slowdown will occur between now and the end of the year, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute.
KOF on Friday reported a further weakening in September. Its monthly barometer fell by 0.3 points compared with August, to 95.9 points. This fall is mainly attributable to a series of indicators in the manufacturing and services sectors, said economists at the Zurich centre.
Developments in the financial and banking sectors do not give cause for optimism.
In industry, companies active in metallurgy, paper and printing are weighing on the economic outlook, as are chemicals, pharmaceuticals and plastics. On the other hand, the food sector appears resilient, says the press release.
KOF also highlights the negative outlook for employment in manufacturing and construction.
The KOF Business Cycle Barometer is a leading indicator on the Swiss economy, which is made up of a large number of individual indicators. These are combined into an overall indicator using statistically determined weights.