SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among South Korean businesses over economic conditions improved for the second straight month due to year-end seasonal factors, central bank data showed Tuesday.
The composite business sentiment index (CBSI) in all industries increased 1.6 points from a month earlier to 93.7 in December after rising 1.5 points in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The consecutive improvement was attributed to seasonal factors such as a spending surge at the end of the year.
The CBSI among manufacturers gained 1.7 points to 94.4 in December compared to the previous month, while the index for non-manufacturers mounted 1.4 points to 93.2.
The CBSI continued to stay below the long-term average of 100 amid the lingering economic uncertainties.
The result was based on a survey of 1,824 manufacturers and 1,431 non-manufacturers conducted between Dec. 11 and 18.
Manufacturers identified faltering domestic demand, economic uncertainty and fluctuations in the won versus dollar exchange rate as key barriers to doing business, while non-manufacturers picked weak consumer demand, uncertain economic situation and higher labor costs.
The economic sentiment index, which reflects sentiment among both businesses and consumers, stood at 93.1 in December, down 1 point from a month earlier. ■
