Most South Korean small and mid-sized companies predict their business conditions will remain weak in May due to faltering consumer sentiment, a poll showed Sunday.

The poll of 1,373 such firms taken by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business found that the small business health index for May reached 96.3, down 0.3 point from the previous month.

A reading below 100 indicates that more respondents had negative outlooks than positive expectations about their business conditions.

The surveyed companies expect their business conditions will slightly worsen in May due to sluggish consumer confidence, although the real economy has been improving, Kbiz said.

The May SBHI for the light industry fell 0.4 point to 93.9 from a month earlier, with the index for the heavy and chemical industry down 0.2 point to 98.5.

The index for manufacturing facility rose to 101.4 for May from 100.5 in April, while that for inventory level measured 101.8 for May compared to 101.5 in April.

The SBHI for employment fell to 93.8 for May from 94.9 in April, suggesting that the companies are anticipating a manpower shortage in May. (Yonhap)