Slovenia Business Sentiment Improves in May

Slovenia’s seasonally adjusted manufacturing business tendency indicator rose to -6 in May 2026 from a revised -8 in April, marking the highest reading since January. The assessment of current production turned positive (3 vs -1 in April), and production expectations improved (6 vs 3). The indicator for total order books declined at a slower pace (-21 vs -23), while that for stocks of finished goods remained unchanged at 3. In addition, employment prospects increased (6 vs 4), while selling price expectations eased (21 vs 26). Uncertainty also fell (32 vs 65), while the labour hoarding indicator held steady at 8. Among other sectors, confidence also improved in retail trade, construction, and services.

Slovenia’s seasonally adjusted manufacturing business tendency indicator slipped to -9 in April 2026 from -8 in March, marking a continued deterioration in sentiment and the lowest reading since September 2025. The decline came as current production turned negative (-1 vs 1 in March), while demand conditions remained subdued, with both export and overall order books unchanged at -26, reflecting persistent weakness in external and domestic demand. Meanwhile, stocks of finished products edged up to 3 from 2, suggesting slower inventory turnover. Looking ahead, production expectations softened (2 vs 4) and prices are seen sharply higher (26 vs 10). Employment expectations improved slightly (4 vs 3), however, uncertainty remained elevated at 35, while the labour hoarding indicator held steady at 8, suggesting firms are retaining workers despite weaker activity.

Slovenia’s seasonally adjusted manufacturing business tendency indicator stood at -8 in March 2026, unchanged from the previous month, marking a two-month low since June 2025. Production expectations held steady at 5, matching the prior reading in February, while export order books deteriorated further to -27 from -26, alongside a decline in overall order books to -26 from -25. At the same time, current production edged down to 2 from 3, stocks of finished products fell to 2 from 5, and selling price expectations eased to 10 from 13. Conversely, employment expectations improved to 3 from -1.