Breakthrough in Medium-Sized Businesses: Companies Hope for Improvement

The mood among Austria's medium-sized companies is slowly brightening. Around 80 percent of businesses rate their current business situation positively, and a third expect further improvement in the coming months. This is shown by the current "Medium-Sized Business Barometer" from the consulting firm EY.

Healthcare sector positive, industry more reserved

The healthcare sector is particularly optimistic: most companies here are satisfied with the current situation. The industry is more reserved, as are financial service providers, trade, and consumer goods. Larger companies with annual sales of over 30 million euros rate their situation better on average than smaller businesses with sales under ten million euros.

Tourism sector expects upswing

For the next six months, 30 percent of respondents expect an improvement in their business situation, while only 9 percent anticipate a downturn. The tourism sector is particularly optimistic: almost half of the businesses here expect a positive development. In contrast, in the areas of transport, transportation, and energy, 16 percent expect a deterioration.

Willingness to invest slightly increased

Expectations for the overall economy remain cautious. 35 percent anticipate an economic downturn, while only 16 percent expect an improvement. Nevertheless, 18 percent of companies plan to invest more—a slight increase compared to the previous year.

For the survey, EY interviewed around 500 company executives from medium-sized businesses with 30 to 20,000 employees. The survey was conducted in August and September 2025.

(APA/Red)

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