Share of German Companies Whose Survival Is Threatened Increases Only Slightly
At present, 7.9 percent of German companies feel their economic survival is threatened. This proportion has risen only slightly compared to the previous month, when it was 7.5 percent. This is the finding of an ifo Institute survey, “Against the backdrop of the economic slowdown, companies are showing great resilience,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo.
Retail continues to be the hardest hit, with 11.8 percent of businesses reporting a situation that threatens their survival (October: 11.6 percent). “Many retail businesses are looking ahead to the upcoming Christmas season with concern,” Wohlrabe says.
Among service providers, the proportion rose from 7.7 percent to 8.9 percent. Here, the self-employed and hotels are particularly affected. Legal and tax consultants, meanwhile, have no concerns for their survival.
In manufacturing, 6.8 percent of companies consider their survival threatened (October: 7.0 percent). But there are concerns in many energy-intensive industries. In the chemical industry, the share more than doubled from 5.9 percent to 12.4 percent. In rubber and plastic goods, 9.8 percent of companies reported threats to their survival.