EMCS : Monthly Outlook Survey in Services

The purpose of The Monthly Outlook Survey in Services is to transcribe the opinions of company managers on both their recent activity and on their business prospects. This opinion is traced by monitoring sales and variables linked to their activity, such as prices, demand, operating results or changes in the workforce. Business leaders also provide their opinion on their cash flow and recruitment difficulties, their general feeling on the overall situation of their company and the possible factors limiting its activity. The main themes addressed are - activity: company managers are asked about the evolution of the sector as a whole (general outlook for activity) as well as about the demand for their business, their cash flow situation, payment deadlines or factors limiting their activity; - employment: company managers are asked about recent employment in their company (observed evolution of the workforce over the last three months), as well as their employment forecasts (probable evolution of the workforce over the next three months). They are also questioned about any recruitment difficulties; - investment; - prices; - market prices, foreign competition, acquisitions and transport capacity for companies in the road haulage and parcel delivery sector. The survey covers almost all of the following sectors in metropolitan France: accommodation and food services; information and communication; real estate activities; specialized, scientific and technical activities; administrative and support services; other services; and road haulage and messenger services.