Business sentiment remained flat in February amid lingering economic uncertainties.

According to the Bank of Korea on Wednesday, the business survey index(BSI) for all industries posted 69 for February, unchanged from the previous month, to remain at the index’s lowest in 28 months since September 2020, when it marked 64.

A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

The BSI for manufacturers came to 63 in February, down three points from a month earlier. It slipped for the third consecutive month and marked the lowest since July 2020 when it posted 59.

The index for non-manufacturing sectors rose by two points on-month to 73, due in part to the removal of the indoor mask mandate.

Meanwhile, local firms' business outlook for March rose by three points on-month, coming in at 71.