Emanuel Boeminghaus wrote that investments by German small and medium-sized enterprises have fallen to their lowest level in 20 years, according to Creditreform. Only 37.3 percent of the surveyed companies planned investments, down from 43.5 percent in the previous year; in the construction industry, the share was 27 percent. Boeminghaus also pointed out that one in three medium-sized companies has an equity ratio of less than ten percent. Rising order intake was reported by 20.2 percent, while declining order intake was reported by 26.4 percent. While 18.6 percent of the businesses had reduced staff, 14.5 percent had created additional positions. The combination of weak orders, high costs, and lack of investments is increasingly becoming an existential burden for the Mittelstand, he wrote. Reflecting on the much-hailed recovery, he expressed himself ironically. He cited WELT and Creditreform as sources. https://t.co/gqvfmvqiXq #Mittelstand #Wirtschaftskrise #Investitionen (translated)
