The second Economic Situation Barometer of the Kavala Chamber of Commerce has been completed, which concerns its member businesses and is a two-month survey, with topical questions and questions regarding the progress of businesses. The survey was conducted on a sample of 335 businesses between July and August by a research company, on behalf of the Kavala Chamber of Commerce.
According to the results, 4 out of 10 Kavala entrepreneurs, who participated in the survey, consider the state of their business satisfactory for the period July-August 2022, while for the next six months 4 out of 10 estimate that their business will move at the same levels, 2 out of 10 foresee a worsening of its course. When asked how you judge the state of your business, 46.1% state that it is satisfactory, 25.8% bad, while 28.1% good.
Stagnation, at the same levels, is seen by 47.2% of the companies participating in the survey for the next six months, 20% believe that the situation of their companies will worsen, while 32.8% believe that it will improve.
The balance of hiring – dismissals is negative
For the next two months, 78.3% of companies participating in the survey plan to keep the staff they employ, 14.5% will make layoffs and 7.2% will hire. It is worth noting that in the previous two months, the percentage of businesses that said they would lay off staff was only 2.8%, while the percentage of businesses that would hire staff was 11.3%.
32.5% of entrepreneurs stated that the turnover of their businesses decreased, 36% that it remained the same, while 31.5% that it increased.
Another burden for businesses is the repayment of the refundable advance
In the first part of the survey regarding the repayment of the refundable advance and how it will affect the company’s consistency in terms of its other obligations, the companies answered 59.6% that it would affect them, 30.3% that it will not affect them and 10.1% that it does not concern them.
Energy increases were passed on to the consumer
Regarding the increases in electricity tariffs that businesses have been asked to pay and the increases in the prices of raw materials / products, and whether these increases were incorporated into the final cost of selling their products, the majority (51.7%) answered that the incorporated, 39.3% that it did not incorporate them while 9% that it does not concern them.
Finding suitable staff is a problem
Regarding the difficulties in the search to find staff, a very large percentage (66.7%) of the companies answered that they had difficulty finding the staff they needed and did not find them in the end, 21.6% that they had difficulty but finally found the staff they needed needed while only 11.7% said they easily found what they were looking for.
“No” to early elections
Finally, with regard to the possibility of early elections and how they will affect the functioning of the market and businesses of the Prefecture of Kavala, 62.9% of businesses answered that the operation will be affected, 24.7% that it will not be affected while 12.4% Don’t know/Don’t answer.
Small drop in the index
With reference to the general course of the economy in the Prefecture of Kavala and the climate prevailing in businesses, the research showed that the climate is still positive but shows a downward trend in relation to with the two months of May-June. This can partly be explained by the end of the summer season and the unfavorable climate that exists in relation to the situation that will prevail in the economy in the coming winter.
