The economic mood in the EU and the euro area barely changed in July

The economic sentiment index (Economic Sentiment Indicator, ESI) in the euro area decreased from 95.9 points in June to 95.8 points, and the economic sentiment index of the European Union rose from 96.3 points to 96.4 points in July.

The Employment Expectations Indicator (EEI) weakened by 1.6 points to 98.7 points in the EU and by 1.8 points to 97.8 points in the euro area, thus falling below the long-term average in both regions for the first time since April 2021 .

Based on the final data of DG ECFIN for July, the consumer sentiment index improved by 0.7 points to minus 12.2 points in the European Union, while it rose by 1.0 points to minus 13.0 points in the euro area. The index is starting to approach the long-term average in both regions.