SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among South Korean businesses over economic conditions worsened for the first time in three months on worry about higher wages, central bank data showed Tuesday.
Business sentiment index (BSI) for January stood at 78, down 3 points compared with the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
It marked the first fall in three months. The reading below 100 means optimists outnumbered pessimists.
The BSI among manufacturers shed 4 points over the month to 77 in January, the lowest in 11 months. The reading for small companies tumbled from 71 to 63 as the government decided to raise minimum wage.
The higher minimum wage boosted worry, especially among small-sized firms, about higher labor costs.
The BSI among non-manufacturers inched down from 81 to 80 in the cited period.
