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Nearly half of companies (49%) believe "not to be able to withstand a third confinement", according to a survey carried out by the Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (CPME) among its members and published on Tuesday.

Out of 2,400 managers of SMEs and very small businesses (VSEs) questioned, 54% said they were “worried about the sustainability of their business”, against 47% in a previous survey in September.

Mixed prospects but not catastrophic

At 53%, they consider that the implementation of the curfew slows down their activity, and a third (33%) “have the feeling that their company is under a state drip”.

Asked about the evolution of their turnover in November and December 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, two thirds (65%) say it has fallen, one in five that it is stable and 15% report an increase.

Regarding their workforce, they are down in 30% of cases, stable in 61% of companies and up in 9%.

“For 2021, the outlook is mixed, but not catastrophic.

If 52% of respondents expect a drop in turnover in the coming months, 48% anticipate a maintenance or even an increase, ”notes the employers' organization in a press release.

Likewise, if 25% plan to reduce their workforce, 66% plan to maintain it and 9% plan to recruit, ”continues the CPME.

Loans difficult to repay

A sign of concern, the heads of small and medium-sized businesses are more and more likely to doubt their ability to repay their debts or pay their charges.

One in two companies has benefited from deferral of tax or social contributions, and among these, more than one in three (36%) thinks they are unable to reimburse them, against 28% in September.

As for the loan guaranteed by the State (PGE), to which 58% of responding SMEs and VSEs say they have used, nearly one in two (45%) among these beneficiaries think they cannot repay it, against one in three ( 34%) four months ago.

Finally, only a quarter (26%) of SME / VSE managers feel concerned by the government's recovery plan, and only one in ten says they know its terms.

The responses have been adjusted to take into account an over-representation of accommodation and food services and sports halls and an under-representation of the building, specifies the CPME.

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  • Company

  • SME

  • Confinement

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Economy