FHI Corona Survey summer update: more companies are experiencing problems

FHI also has another one in July survey conducted about the economic impact of the corona crisis on all companies affiliated with us. This shows that companies are increasingly experiencing deficiencies in the supply of products. In addition to logistical problems, many companies are faced with a decrease in turnover and order portfolio.

FHI sends this survey to its members to gain more insight into the consequences of the corona crisis. These questions were about expected problems in the company and the sector in question. We also measure the extent to which government support measures are being used.

FHI has five branches in total. Just like in it previous research, certain sectors are more affected than others. For example, we see that more than 50 percent of respondents from the Industrial Electronics sector expect problems. This is the same as the results of the survey from May and June. An increase in the number of companies in trouble can also be seen in the Industrial Automation and Building Automation sectors.

Compared to May and June, we see an increase in the lack of supply of products (including parts) in all sectors in July. In May, less than 10 percent of companies suffered from this, while in July all sectors are above 20 percent. Even 50 percent of respondents in the Building Automation sector.

Companies in all industries are faced with a decrease in order books and a decline in turnover. What is striking here is that in May and June 40 percent of companies in the Industrial Automation sector indicated that they were dealing with a declining order book, while in July this increased to almost 90 percent. In all industries, more than 50 percent are experiencing a decline in turnover.

In May, the NOW scheme was used most by the various sectors. In June and July we see a small increase in companies applying for the TOGS scheme, but more than fifty percent of all respondents still use the wage cost subsidy.

In May and June, it was still expected in a number of sectors that additional measures would have to be taken. Particular attention should be paid to the reduction of the flexible workforce (staff) and permanent staff. In July we noticeably see a large number of companies that state that they no longer expect to take any measures. In the Medical Technology industry, even 65 percent of respondents say this.

FHI remains committed to a continuous news provision and support for our industry members because the consequences will certainly still be visible next year. For example, we will again conduct the corona survey among our members from September.