For the first time in 1.5 years, Ukrainian business has improved its assessment of its prospects.

For the first time since October 2021, the Business Activity Expectations Index rose to 51.5 points in April from 49.5 in March and crossed the neutral level (50 points), according to a study by the National Bank.

As noted by the regulator, the improvement in the energy supply situation, increase in the supply of food and fuel, improvement in inflation and exchange rate expectations, and improvement in Ukrainian consumer attitudes contributed to the positive forecast. At the same time, most enterprises maintained their expectations regarding the growth of purchase prices and tariffs for their products and/or services.

Respondents’ estimates for future employment have softened: trade enterprises expect an increase in the number of employees for the first time since January 2022, and the rest of the polled sectors predict lower rates of staff reduction than in previous months.