– The economic situation is deteriorating for the secondary sector
Questioned by the CVCI on the progress of their business, Vaud companies gave positive feedback. But part of the industry is sticking its tongue out.
Published today at 5:31 p.m.
Teleworking remains one of the solutions favored by employers sensitive to the balance between private and professional life.
KEYSTONE/CHRISTIAN BEUTLER
Cost of raw materials, geopolitical conflicts, post-pandemic era, inflation, even recession… The recurring themes of economic news in 2023 augured a slowdown which is only partially verified among the Vaud companies surveyed by the CVCI (Vaud Chamber of Commerce). commerce and industry). Overall, the few thousand companies that responded to the survey have a positive outlook. Among those active in the industry, however, a third admits a deterioration in their income.
Thus, almost half of companies saw their turnover increase by more than 4% last year. But we will find them more in the tertiary sector than in the secondary sector. “Export-oriented industries have suffered in particular from the slowdown in Germany, even if the American market is doing well,” explains Patrick Zurn, economic manager at CVCI.
Population growth
“The hardest part seems to be behind us,” comments Patrick Zurn. But it depends on the sector: we see today that a slowdown is looming in watchmaking.” Conversely, the tertiary sector benefits from sustained activity. For the economic manager, demographic growth is driving this sector: “The Vaud population increased by 1.9% last year, which is twice as much as in 2022.”
In this positive context, the level of concern is lower than that of last year, notes the CVCI. Only 6% of companies plan to reduce their workforce in 2024.
Teleworking and part-time
Thus, difficulties in recruiting qualified personnel remain. Therefore, 81% of companies say they take measures to reconcile private and professional life. Among the preferred options, teleworking and part-time work are at the top.
Finally, on the political level, future discussions on the introduction of 34 weeks of parental leave are unlikely to find a favorable response among bosses. Two thirds of them would favor personalized solutions.
Alain Détraz has been a journalist for the Vaud section of “24 Heures” since 2005. After covering various areas of local news, he has been in charge of the Vaud Economy page since 2022.More informations
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