(12.07.2023) The business climate remains mixed for SMEs in the MEM industry. In Q2 2023, the barometer from Swissmechanic and the BAK Institute of Economic Research stood at 10. It's an increase of one point compared to Q1, but a decrease of 15 points year-on-year.
Based on a survey of 200 companies in the sector, the SME-MEM index plummeted by 30 points in Q4 2022, reaching negative figures (-10), before returning to positive values at the beginning of 2023. However, the figures for Q1 and Q2 2023 remain relatively low compared to the levels recorded between Q2 2021 and Q1 2022.
Nearly half of the surveyed SMEs expect the order situation to remain unchanged in 2023. However, more of them fear a decrease (31%) rather than hope for an increase (20%). The same trend applies to revenues: while 45% of respondents believe it will remain stable, 29% of them fear a decrease, while the remaining 26% expect them to rise.
Furthermore, only 19% of companies reported an increase in their workforce, while 12% said they were employing fewer employees than the previous year.
The biggest challenges companies face in the sector are labor shortages (51%) and energy prices (36%). Over a third of them also point to a lack of orders (32%) and exchange rates (31%).
On the other hand, supply chain issues seem to be gradually resolving (-13 points on a quarterly basis), although they remain a source of concern for over a quarter of companies in the sector (27%).
According to the report published by SwissMechanic and the BAK Institute, the medium-term prospects for the machinery industry remain generally modest: inflation persists, external demand remains weak, and strong geopolitical tensions persist. In the 1st quarter of 2023, order inflows decreased for the first time since the health crisis. Despite these rather negative signals, nearly 60% of surveyed stakeholders believe that the business climate remains favorable.
Last modification 12.07.2023
