Eurozone business activity drops to a record low in April

Business activity in the eurozone in April reached another record low, which is a sign that the coronavirus pandemic is causing serious economic damage to the whole region.

According to preliminary data, the purchasing managers index (PMI) of IHS Markit in April fell to 13.5 points. In March, the same index already recorded the largest monthly decline to 29.7.

Chris Williamson, chief economist for business at IHS Markit, said that activity in the second quarter could record the worst recession in history. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts a decline in the eurozone economy by 7.5% in 2020.

European leaders today should discuss further measures to stimulate the economy. Eurozone finance ministers have formed a €500 billion package of financial measures to deal with the economic shock caused by the pandemic, but each EU government believes that additional funding is still needed.