Bottom of the league in study

Lower Austrian companies with a sad view of the future

The retail sector is the least satisfied with its own business situation.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/TANJA UNGERBÖCK / APA / picturedesk.com)

Only every fourth company in Lower Austria rates its own business situation positively. This puts the companies between Enns and Leitha at the bottom of an Austria-wide study. By comparison: in Tyrol, almost two thirds rate the situation as good...

The mood among small and medium-sized businesses in Austria is currently similar to that at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. At least that's according to the SME barometer of the auditing and consulting organization EY on the business situation in 2025. And it paints a bleak picture for Lower Austrian companies in particular.

Labor shortage, energy prices
They are at the bottom of the Austria-wide study when it comes to assessing their own business situation. Only 25 percent of companies rate this positively. In comparison: last year, the figure was 47 percent. At 23%, almost as many assume that business will continue to deteriorate (2023: 16%). One of the main reasons for this is the shortage of labor (67%), followed by the recession (65%) and high energy prices (61%).

Job cuts at one in five companies
Accordingly, companies between Enns and Leitha are reluctant to invest. Only 12 percent want to increase them, but just as many want to reduce them. The tense situation is also evident when looking at staffing levels: a fifth of businesses are planning to cut jobs, while slightly fewer want to take on additional employees.

It is striking that the retail and consumer goods sector in particular is the most dissatisfied, while the mood is still best in the healthcare and tourism sectors.