SEOUL, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among South Korean businesses over economic conditions worsened in four months due to geopolitical risks in the Middle East and continued downturn in the construction industry, central bank data showed Thursday.

The composite business sentiment index (CBSI) in all industries decreased 0.5 points over the month to 90.2 in June, after going up for the past three months, according to the Bank of Korea.

The slide was attributed to uncertainties at home and abroad, including armed conflicts in the Middle East and the sluggish construction industry as well as lower U.S. demand for some locally-made products.

The CBSI among manufacturers slipped 0.3 points to 94.4 in June compared to the previous month, while the index for non-manufacturers declined 0.7 points to 87.4.

The CBSI continued to stay below the long-term average of 100 on the back of lingering economic uncertainties.

The result was based on a survey of 1,839 manufacturers and 1,445 non-manufacturers conducted from June 11 to June 18.

Manufacturers selected faltering domestic demand, economic uncertainty and export slump as key barriers to doing business, while non-manufacturers picked weaker consumer demand, uncertain economic situation and higher labor cost.

The economic sentiment index (ESI), which reflects sentiment among both businesses and consumers, stood at 92.8 in June, up 0.6 points from a month earlier. ■