Autumn's barometer for small and medium-sized enterproses has been published
- News
The economic prospects of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have improved slightly from last spring. The outlook is also more positive than a year ago.
The economic expectations of SMEs are slightly more positive than before, and there are more SMEs anticipating an improvement than those expecting the situation to deteriorate. The outlook is based on expectations of general economic recovery, which in turn largely depends on stronger private consumption.
Compared to the spring barometer, however, SMEs’ plans to recruit employees have strengthened. Among all SMEs, 14 per cent intend to increase the number of staff, while 11 per cent expect the number of staff to fall.
The success and growth of companies are based on skills, new knowledge and innovations. The most common sources of public funding for research and development are local and regional authorities, such as ELY Centres and, at the national level, Business Finland.