One in three Russian components says that its commercial conditions have worsened in the last six months, according to a new survey, which marks the highest level of pessimism from the large -scale invasion of Russia of Ukraine in 2022.
Thirty -four percent of the companies surveyed by the consulting firm Yakov & Partners’ Ceo Barometter reported a deterioration in their situation of only 16% in May 2024 and 24% in December 2022.
The report, obtained by Forbes Russia, prepared for the San Petersburg International Economic Forum last week.
The industries that report that the most acute recessions include mining, heavy industry, manufacturing of chemicals, the oil and gas sector, energy and transport.
Twenty -five percent of the companies said they had stopped or slowed investment projects, while 13% suspended all the projects considered not killed.
The 42% increase in respondents gave the growing indebtedness costs driven by the high -key interest rate of the Central Bank as an important obstacle for 42% of respondents, compared to 38% of the previous year.
“The cost of capital has become a central concern,” said the report, noting that the strictest financial conditions are putting long -term investment strategies in multiple sectors.
However, the survey also revealed signs of resilience.
Sixty -six percent of the companies said that the general conditions had remained stable or improved in the last six months, although this is a significant 84% drop that said the same in 2024.
Optimism is still relatively high, with 90% of business leaders who say they expect conditions to improve or stay the same for the end of the year.
Improvement reports were more common among companies operating in you, retail trade, medical care and consumer goods.
Labor scarcity seems to be fit, with 48% or respondents who highlight this problem compared to 60% last year.
The report also underlines how Russian companies have gradually adjusted to the changing geopolitical and commercial panorama of the country.
Only 20% of executives now cite external commercial restrictions as a key challenge, below 63% in 2022. Conerns about geopolitical risk have faded in a similar way, with only 15% of seeing it as an important problem! Or compared to Ukraine.
Looking towards the future, executives said the main priorities include reducing costs, attracting and retaining talent and expanding the production of goods and services.
