The effects of the health crisis “are powerful and clearly visible” but “the economic situation remains reassuring today in the Loire”, affirms Christine Gord.
SMEs have suffered the most
In 2020, the companies in the department still saw their turnover fall by 4.7%. A significant drop which remains below the regional average of -5.6%. It is SMEs and the service and industry sectors that have suffered the most from this decline in activity.
The trend should improve over the 2021 financial year, in particular “thanks to the recovery plan from which many companies in the Loire Valley have been able to benefit”. The first repayments of government guaranteed loans will be “a crucial time,” she adds.
Thanks to its rating work, which consists of assessing a company’s ability to honor its financial commitments, the Banque de France has posted a positive first assessment for 2021.
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Mainly well filled order books
The rating indices of 85% of the companies having used this service are at least considered satisfactory. The activity is therefore well resumed and “the order books are mostly well filled”. Only shadows on the table, the current problems of recruitment and supply of raw materials could stop the machine.
Regarding households, the number of over-indebtedness files filed since January is 10% lower than in 2019 over the same period. This shows that most economic players have so far “held their ground”.
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