Coronavirus Pandemic
How does the coronavirus pandemic affect the Mittelstand in Germany? What economic policy support measures are appropriate? The IfM Bonn regularly publishes analyses and recommendations in this dossier.
Standpoint
Schumpeter in the Corona Crisis
19.10.2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting our everyday social and economic life for for about six months now. When the exogenous shock hit the German economy in March, the first thing we had to do was to counteract the rapid spread of this aggressive virus. This resulted in extensive restrictions in everyday life and temporary plant closures in many economic sectors. The national border closures also aggravated the economic situation in many Mittelstand enterprises, as they no longer had access to the European single market.
In order to be able to immediately cushion the negative economic consequences such as lack of liquidity and unbearable labour costs, the German government launched numerous support measures for the self-employed and companies. For most Mittelstand companies in Germany, it also paid off that they had significantly increased their equity ratio since the financial crisis of 2008/09 thanks to their good profit situation. Only among micro-enterprises, there was a high proportion of companies that did not have any equity - and thus could get into financial difficulties much more quickly.
Figure of the months
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus"
Useful source: Handwerksroll data
What is the impact of the Corona pandemic on start-ups in the skilled craft sector? What consequences did the amendment of Handwerksordnung have on market entries and exits in the craft trades that are exempt from licensing? Which regions in Germany are particularly characterised by the craft branches?
Cooperation with University of Siegen
Zukunftspanel Mittelstand
NUI region ranking
Offensive Mittelstand
Data of the IfM Bonn
