It is the credit reporting company Syna that has produced statistics on the number of companies that went bankrupt during the first quarter of 2023.

In Blekinge, 17 companies have been declared bankrupt – an increase of 13 percent.

"The development indicates that many companies are struggling and that many continue to struggle for their survival. Hard-hit industries are not entirely unexpected the restaurant industry and the construction sector, says Karl Stjerna, CEO of Syna.

Predicted already last autumn

Already during the autumn, Blekinge's regional manager at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, Johan Dalén, predicted that it would be a tough winter for companies in the county. Already then, in September, it was noted that bankruptcies had increased greatly in Blekinge and that tougher times are expected.

– I would say that the energy crisis and the inflation risk are worse than the pandemic in that it affects the entire business community more broadly, said Johan Dalén to SVT Nyheter Blekinge.

The new figures for the first quarter of 2023 show increased bankruptcies also at the national level, up by 30 percent since the start of the year.

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According to Johan Dalén, regional manager at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise in Blekinge, it is primarily the manufacturing industry and the hospitality industry that are at risk of future bankruptcies. Hear him talk more about this in the clip above. Photo: SVT / Confederation of Swedish Enterprise