According to the Ifo economic research institute, the number of German companies that see their economic existence threatened has increased slightly in recent months.
According to a recent survey, 6.8 percent of companies currently feel at risk, the institute said in a statement published on Tuesday. In the previous corresponding survey in January, the proportion was only 4.8 percent. A year ago, however, 7.9 percent of companies felt their existence was threatened.
The proportion of affected companies in retail is currently above average (10.3 percent). However, companies from the transport and logistics sector (14 percent), personnel agencies (13.9 percent) and companies from the chemical industry (12.5 percent) are even more pessimistic. According to the institute, there was a significant increase compared to the previous survey in the construction industry: While only 5.1 percent of companies felt at risk in January, the figure is now 8.9 percent.
The economic research institute does not expect a “larger wave” of corporate bankruptcies
Across all sectors, companies that consider themselves to be at risk are particularly concerned about “a lack of demand or orders” (35 percent). According to the Ifo Institute, other frequently cited reasons for the current problems are an “economically difficult environment” (27 percent) and inflation (24 percent).
Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the Ifo surveys, commented on the current situation: “The economic weakness is also reflected in increasing corporate insolvencies,” he explained in a statement. “But there are currently no signs of a larger wave.”