Management consultants less optimistic, survey shows

Management consultants were less optimistic over fundamental economic developments and productive factors in the next 12 months, according to the GRe+1 barometer released by the Hellenic Association of Management Consulting Firms (SESMA) on Wednesday.

For the first quarter of 2021 the barometer showed that the GRe+1 index, which is the average of the Economic Context and Productive Factors indices, fell to 38.3% from 46.1% in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Emblematic investments, predictions of rapid GDP growth in the second half and contained unemployment, a continuing recession, higher public debt and the persisting pandemic all contributed toward a drop in management consultants’ optimism.

The Economic Context index fell to 36.9% from 47.2% at the end of 2020. Optimism levels fell in all sections of the index, economic growth rate, unemployment, private fixed capital investments and price moves.

Management consultants were less optimistic in their expectations of production trends in the first quarter of 2021.