The composite business sentiment index (CBSI) in all industries decreased 0.6 points over the month to 95.1 in July, after rising for the past four months, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The index hovered below the long-term average of 100 amid lingering economic uncertainties.
The CBSI among manufacturers declined 1.7 points to 95.7 in July compared to the previous month, but the index for non-manufacturers added 0.3 points to 94.6.
The results were based on a survey of 1,878 manufacturers and 1,469 non-manufacturers conducted between July 10 and 17.
Manufacturers selected sluggish domestic demand, economic uncertainties and higher labor costs as key barriers to doing business, while non-manufacturers picked domestic demand slump, uncertain economic situations and higher labor cost.
The economic sentiment index (ESI), which reflects sentiment among both businesses and consumers, stood at 95.9 in July, up 1.2 points from the previous month.
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