SOS Prosperity

Only a catalog of measures can help against a gloomy mood

The industry's measures to repair competitiveness.(Bild: IV Burgenland / Krone KREATIV)

Based on a tense situation, the economic barometer for industrial companies is in decline. The SOS Prosperity package of measures has now been put together. 

Every fourth industrial company expects the economic situation to be "bad" in the next six months - as reported by the "Krone". It is feared that sales prices will fall in the coming weeks.

Industry under pressure 
"The percentage of those expecting good business conditions has almost halved compared to the first quarter," the Federation of Austrian Industries announced with corresponding concern. However, efforts are still being made to maintain the current level of employment. However, the difficult underlying economic situation makes this a challenge that will put certain industrial sectors under particular pressure, insiders emphasize.

Losing ground to the competition
Almost 30 Burgenland companies with more than 3,500 employees took part in the survey. The Federation of Austrian Industries drew its conclusions from this and put together the "SOS Prosperity" package of measures. The demands are clear.

 One core issue is the radical reduction of non-wage labor costs. "Performance and hard work must pay off again." The tax and contribution ratio is to be continuously reduced to 40 percent by 2030. "The state can only function efficiently if it is possible for working people to build something up," he explains.

An end to fully comprehensive insurance
The "fully comprehensive state" should be a thing of the past. "The legal framework for companies must be reliable, while at the same time a return to performance and personal responsibility is required," it says. The "Green Deal" should be seen as an open-technology strategy for more growth. The economy should therefore already be a fixed point in the school curriculum. This demand alone could lift the mood.