Small and medium-sized businesses will be most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and their managers have estimated as the main risk reducing activity by over 50% or even shutting down, informs the National Institute of Statistics (INS), after conducting an investigation on the evolution of economic activity.

“In order to measure the impact of SARS-Cov.2, the INS carried out an ad-hoc survey between March 17-19, 2020 regarding the estimation of the evolution of the activity and the number of employees for the periods 17/19 – March 31 and 1 – April 30, 2020. The managers of the companies were asked about the perception regarding the evolution of the economic activity, respectively if they consider that the activity will be reduced by up to 25%, between 25-50%, over 50% or it will be closed, but also if the activity does not shrink or even increase,” a statement of the INS shows, quoted by Agerpres.

From the analysis of the answers, one in five managers mentioned that by the end of March activity could decrease by up to 25%. Three quarters of the managers who mentioned that the activity will increase are in the retail sector.

Regarding the evolution of activity since April 2020, the degree of uncertainty increases, so over 48% of the respondents mentioned that they cannot estimate how the economic activity will evolve. The share of managers who estimated that the activity would not be reduced during April was reduced to half of the value of March.

In the industry, about one third of the respondents who mentioned that the activity will be reduced during April, estimated that the activity could be reduced between 25% and 50%.

According to the INS, the most affected will be the small and medium-sized enterprises whose managers estimated as the main risk the reduction by over 50% or even the closure of the activity.