In its recent investment survey, WIFO asked approximately 3,000 firms of the manufacturing sector, the construction sector and the energy sector about recent capital expenditure and plans for future investments, the development of sales, as well as their business expectations.

The recent survey of 2,500 enterprises in manufacturing, construction and public utilities conducted by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research in collaboration with the EU (Directorate-General II-4) reveals that enterprises in these sectors plan to invest substantially in 1996. The lively...

The annual review of the profitability of the Austrian manufacturing sector exhibits two important new features in 1997: First, the new BACH database for the first time allows conducting an EU-wide comparison of profitability based on detailed balance sheet data. Secondly, we have introduced a...

In 2001, Austrian manufacturing experienced a marked slowdown in demand. Due to the weak growth performance on a world-wide scale, exports to the main trading partners lost their dynamism. WIFO estimates that production expanded by only 1.8 percent in 2001. In the WIFO industry surveys, firms...

The short period of high growth has been interrupted by an increase of oil prices and a slowdown of the U.S. economy and world demand. WIFO recently revised its forecasts for 2001 and now projects a rise in GDP by 2.6 percent, and a fall in Austrian exports to 7 percent, after 12 percent in...

According to WIFO estimates, Austrian manufacturing achieved a cash flow to sales ratio of 11 percent in 2003, which is comparable to the performance in 2002. The high cash flow to sales ratio in 2002 had been unexpected, given the sluggish growth prospects. A survey among major firms conducted...

According to the latest WIFO business survey carried out in cooperation with the EU among 2,700 firms in the manufacturing sector, capital formation by the construction industries and public utilities makes a significant contribution to the recovery, even though it is less dynamic than in the...

According to the recent WIFO forecast, economic growth in Austria is set to decelerate from 3.3 percent in 2000 to 1.7 percent in 2001. The slowdown is mainly due to a weaker European environment which itself is the consequence of slower growth in the USA and of higher energy costs. These...

Thanks to their excellent performance, business services have attracted the attention of economists in recent years. According to national accounts figures, they contributed ATS 126.2 billion, or 5.2 percent, to GDP in 1996 and provided 143,490 jobs. In 1987 to 1996, average growth in value...

For 1998, WIFO estimates a cash-flow to sales ratio of 8.9 percent, approximately the same level as in 1997. Surveys performed by the Confederation of Austrian Industry (Vereinigung der Österreichischen Industrie) among manufacturing firms confirm this estimate and likewise suggest no further...