Spanish growth strengthened slightly in Q1 2023, to +0.5% q/q, according to preliminary figures from INE. However, this acceleration, supported by investment and external demand, did not allow real GDP to cross the pre-Covid threshold. It still showed a small deficit of 0.2% compared to Q4 2019.
Continuing the downturn observed in April, INSEE’s business climate indicator fell again in May to 100, the lowest since April 2021. The downturn is widespread and particularly noteworthy regarding the manufacturing sector, where the confidence index even fell to 99, below its long-term average (100) for the first time since March 2021. At the same time, inflationary pressures are continuing to ease.
The French labour market continues to be surprisingly strong with 42,000 net job creations in the first quarter of 2023 according to the INSEE, even though the economy has shown numerous signs of cooling off for more than a year. There is nothing abnormal about the labour market’s resilience, which has still benefited from post-Covid catching-up effects, notably in market services. Yet several driving forces have seized up, especially in construction, and the labour market could begin to deteriorate.
Earlier this week, Hungary published its GDP data for the first quarter. It fell by 0.2 % compared with the previous quarter after -0.6% in Q4 and -0.8% in Q3. This is not a major surprise given that high frequency indicators such as retail sales and industrial production were already pointing to a weakening in economic activity. Elsewhere, in the region, GDP growth was also soft though we observe a better performance in Czech Republic Romania and Poland. The Hungarian economy is experiencing numerous challenges while some positive developments provide some relief.
In this series of three podcasts "Focus on Labour Productivity in Spain" Hélène Baudchon, Deputy Chief Economist and Head of the OECD team, BNP Paribas Economics Department and Guillaume Derrien, Senior Economist in the OECD team, discuss productivity as an endemic weakness of the Spanish model.This first episode reviews the main trends in the evolution of productivity in Spain compared to its European neighbours over the last 25 years.
In this second episode of the series on labour productivity in Spain, Hélène Baudchon and Guillaume Derrien discuss the main factors that explain Spain's low productivity
This third and final episode of the series dedicated to labour productivity in Spain, discusses key developments capable of restoring productivity in Spain, in particular through the National Recovery Plan (2021-2026) and the España 2050 strategy.
How much and how quickly inflation will decline in the Eurozone is of key importance for the ECB, households, firms and financial markets. There is concern that disinflation might be slower than expected until now. The latest ECB survey of professional forecasters shows an increase in the number of participants expecting inflation to remain elevated. Inflation persistence can have different sources: a succession of shocks, staggered price adjustment by firms, price and wage increases that try to compensate for the past increase in costs and the loss of purchasing power, evolving inflation expectations. Going forward, the tightness of the labour market, the strength of wage developments and the momentum in service price inflation are key factors to monitor.
Public deficits in Greece, Portugal and, to a lesser extent, Spain, dropped significantly in 2022. According to Eurostat’s preliminary results – published on 21 April – the primary deficit nearly halved in Spain (-2.4% of GDP), it was erased in Greece, while Portugal once again posted a surplus (1.6% of GDP). In Greece and Portugal, the public deficit fell below the 3% GDP limit set by the Growth and Stability Pact, with which they had already realigned between 2016 and 2019. Although down sharply, the deficit in Spain remains significant, at 4.8% of GDP.Better-than-expected growth in activity and employment and high inflation generated strong tax revenues, which more than offset the rise in spending to cushion the inflationary shock
Already noticeable in Q4 2022, the effects of monetary policy tightening on the distribution of bank credit in the eurozone intensified significantly in Q1 2023.
New factory orders in the industry fell sharply in Germany in March, after a fairly significant increase in February. Overall, these developments are offsetting each other. A very moderate increase over Q1 (0.2% q/q) is consistent with GDP growth, published at 0% q/q for Q1.
Growth in the French economy recovered slightly in Q1 2023, rising to 0.2% q/q following the relative stagnation seen during the second half of 2022. Despite the strengths driving this recovery, the French economy is also exposed to some weaknesses. An analysis across three sectors (transport equipment (including cars), food and housing), gives us an insight into these conflicting forces which imply that while growth is still positive, it can be very different across sectors.
The French economy recorded GDP growth of 0.2% q/q in Q1, split between factors of resilience and weakness.
The current inflationary situation is unprecedented in many respects. Indeed, some of its strength lies in the ability of firms to pass on the rise in their production costs in their selling prices. This is known as pricing power. And it allows companies to preserve their margins in a difficult environment.
Industry, services: which sectors will bring the other in its wake? This is the question that arises when one observes the current divergence of the S&P Global PMI indices for the euro area
The release on Friday 28 April of the first estimate of euro area Q1 2023 GDP growth will quantify the resilience reported by most available surveys and activity data for this quarter. We expect moderate positive growth (+0.3% q/q, forecast slightly revised upwards.
Growth in industrial activity observed in January and February suggests more than a technical rebound correcting the downturn seen in December. Some sectors, such as metals, have seen recovery in Q1 2023, compared to a difficult Q4 2022. Conversely, transport equipment showed a growth carryover for Q1 2023 of +6.2%, after an already strong increase in Q4 2022.
Companies benefited from a slight upturn in the business climate during the 1st quarter of 2023, by one point on average, comparing February and March to the average of the previous five months. Signs of recovery were also visible in business data: the upturn in transport equipment manufacturing was accompanied by an improvement in export order books in industry.
According to our current forecasts, the contraction in Italian GDP recorded in the last quarter of 2022 was only temporary and should be followed by a 0.3% q/q rebound in the first quarter of 2023. However, economic growth is expected to slow down over the course of the year.
Our forecasts are for Spanish GDP to grow by 0.3% in the first and second quarters of 2023. In fact, PMI surveys have posted a clear rebound since the beginning of the year. In particular, the composite index reached its best level in almost a year and a half (58.2), led by services (59.4).
The INSEE business climate indicator saw a moderate downturn in April. This suggests that the upturn seen at the beginning of the year will not last.
After last year’s significant depreciation versus the dollar, the euro has found a new strength. Key factors are the reversal in the current account balance, which after moving into negative territory last year is back into surplus, and, since the autumn of 2022, the narrowing of the 1-year interest rate differential with the US.This reflects the view that the Federal Reserve is approaching the end of its tightening cycle whereas the ECB still has more work to do. We expect that this factor will continue to drive the exchange rate in the coming months. Moreover, there is also a higher likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut rates before the ECB does
Despite the war in Ukraine, Poland’s economic growth was relatively solid in 2022. However, it was erratic with a sharp GDP contraction in Q2 and Q4. For 2023, despite a negative carry-over effect, recession will probably be avoided due to continuous fiscal support. Inflationary pressures remain high in the short term due to wage pressures and the return of the VAT rate on energy to its initial rate. The temporary blocking of European funds since 2022 might, at first glance, raise concerns against a backdrop in which public and external accounts have worsened. However, the inflow of foreign direct investment is a notable shock absorber. In 2022, these flows more than offset the current account deficit.
Even though euro area inflation likely peaked last October, the disinflation process is expected to be slow, with inflation not expected to fall back to its 2% target level before 2025. The most recent macroeconomic projections from the European Central Bank (ECB) all point to this direction of travel. The second wave of inflation is significant, with the HICP excluding energy climbing by 7.9% y/y in March, while further food-price increases are expected for the months ahead. Despite this, economic activity within the Monetary Union is holding up better than expected against the double shock of inflation and interest rate hikes. While a recession is currently being ruled out for 2023, growth is still incredibly fragile
Germany is the Western European country where GDP growth was the most negative in Q4 2022 (-0.4% q/q). Furthermore, economic indicators, although improving, remained relatively downgraded weak at the beginning of 2023. A further contraction in GDP in Q1 2023 therefore remains our central scenario. However, more favourable signals (peak inflation exceededslight disinflation, reopening of China, reduced supply shortages in the automotive sector) could lead to a return to growth from Q2. This has already been reflected in household confidence, although the weakness of growth in the euro area, since Q4 2022, could limit the intensity of this recovery.
