The Austrian economy is set to grow by slightly less than 1 percent this year and by over 2 percent in 2003. The risks surrounding the recovery of the business cycle, to which WIFO had pointed in its forecast of last June, have materialised. The slide in stock market values has undermined consumer and business confidence world-wide. Given the degree of uncertainty and the weaker sentiment, growth prospects have to be revised downwards. Sluggish activity is being reflected in a marked rise in unemployment and in budget deficits exceeding initial targets.