16.05.2023 - At the end of the first quarter of 2023, the general situation in industry and among service companies was assessed as satisfactory by the majority of respondents. After the negative forecasts of the last six months and the unchanged development in the last quarter of 2022 according to respondents, more optimism can be observed again in the first quarter of the new year.

The shortage of workers continues to be a major obstacle to performance, particularly among service companies. At the same time, some sectors of the economy are reporting and forecasting an increase in staffing levels. This obstacle is also mentioned frequently, but far less often, by the industrial and construction companies surveyed. Here, incomplete supply chains, high prices and the unstable global situation are also on the list of obstacles.

The forecasts for the 2nd quarter show widespread optimism in some cases. Above all, companies in the non-metals industry and insurance companies are predicting positive development in almost all areas. While no changes are expected for most of the other factors by most sectors of the economy, the majority of the banks surveyed forecast a decline in demand and the companies surveyed in the general services sector predict a deterioration in the general situation.

Business Survey 1st Quarter 2023