New Zealand businesses less pessimistic in September - ANZ survey

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand businesses were less pessimistic in September with a mood lift evident in the construction sector, an ANZ Bank survey showed on Thursday.

The survey's headline measure showed a net 36.7% of respondents expected the economy to deteriorate over the year ahead. It compared with a 47.8% pessimism level in the previous poll in August.

A net 1.8% of respondents expected their own businesses to shrink in the next 12 months, from 4% last month.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)