Dutch industrial confidence sinks to 24-year low

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

BRUSSELS, Feb. 25 (Chinese media) -- Dutch manufacturers have become more pessimistic than ever as the effects of the global economic crisis were felt more acutely, showed the latest figures from the Dutch central statistics bureau (CBS).

Dutch manufacturer confidence dropped by 2.9 points to -22.9 in February, the lowest since monthly figures were collected in 1985, the bureau said Tuesday.

Producer confidence consists of three component indicators: expected output in the next three months, producers' opinions on their order books and their opinions on their stocks of finished products.

In February, Dutch manufacturers were more pessimistic about their future output than the previous month. Their opinions on their order positions fell to the lowest level in two decades. They were as negative as in January about their stocks of finished products.

Dutch manufacturers were also extremely negative about employment in their branch, the CBS said.