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Italy’s Confindustria Sees Economy Shrinking 10% This Year

Italy’s Confindustria Sees Economy Shrinking 10% This Year

The Italian economy will contract 10% in 2020 and make a partial recovery next year with growth of 4.8%, Confindustria said in a report published Saturday.

After a rebound in the past quarter, momentum is expected to weaken again in the final three months of the year, the industry lobby said. “The gradual increase in the number of newly infected, although more contained than in other European countries, represents a source of uncertainty and concern about future prospects.”

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is struggling to revive an economy that has been ravaged by the coronavirus and a strict national lockdown. The country is starting to plan for what could happen if the pandemic worsens significantly, after recent numbers have showed an increase in infections.

A key boost to the economy could come over the next year from support measures already approved at the European level, according to Confindustria.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.