There are also winners of the Corona crisis in the domestic economy - but there are not very many.
That is one of the results of a survey commissioned by the district.
In June, the district started an entrepreneur survey on the corona crisis
The results have now been presented
Another survey is to follow in October
Fürstenfeldbruck - Already in June, the Society for Applied Municipal Research (Gefak) started an entrepreneur survey on the subject of the corona crisis on behalf of the district.
Gefak wrote to 1,450 companies, 410 companies from a wide variety of industries responded.
This response rate is considered to be very good, so that the survey is very meaningful, said Josef Rother from Gefak.
Importance of short-time work
70 percent of the companies stated in the survey that the corona crisis had a very negative or negative effect on them.
Only seven percent ticked positive or very positive.
The hospitality industry was hit hardest, followed by service providers and retailers, although the picture varies greatly depending on the product.
Every seventh company had closed completely during the lockdown, every 20th was expecting bankruptcy in June.
The greatest effects of the Corona crisis were the loss of orders, customers and events.
Logistical bottlenecks and the failure of suppliers and employees were also mentioned.
While two thirds of the companies assumed a large drop in sales, the loss of jobs was relatively manageable.
That was clearly due to the short-time work.
About half of the companies (mainly from medium-sized companies, here primarily the hospitality industry) took advantage of this opportunity.
Almost 20 percent of employees were affected by short-time work.
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One of the graphics from the survey.
© Gefak
38 percent of the companies applied for further state aid (above all emergency aid).
Almost 90 percent of them were satisfied with the way things went.
The other ten percent complained to the district office.
Home office
Almost 40 percent of the companies opted for home office or generally improved the IT skills of their employees.
However, the vast majority of companies believe that the importance of the home office will wane again after the crisis.
Most companies see the greatest challenge for the near future as a corona-related finding a new normal, followed by “survival”.
The dependence on customer behavior was mentioned here very often, but also compliance with new regulations.
In October, Gefak wants to write to the companies again and create a second picture of the mood.
A third is planned for February 2021.
In the new surveys, interest in the idea of the regional seal (see below) should also be asked.
“I am deeply impressed that 80 percent of our companies are currently sticking to their workforce despite a significant drop in sales.
Even if a good half of the companies surveyed had to register short-time work for this, I rate the fact that the employees were not dismissed as an advantage of our strong, predominantly owner-managed medium-sized companies, ”commented District Administrator Thomas Karmasin.
Maximilian Gigl was convinced that the public sector should continue to invest in all attempts to remain future-proof.
The entire survey can also be found online.
The debate about the regional seal
Can a regional seal help to support the domestic economy in the corona crisis?
The regional council of the district council is supposed to investigate this question.
Representatives of practically all groups in the district council had signed a corresponding application.
The aim is to create a regional company seal.
It is intended to honor companies that contribute to a more socially just and ecologically sustainable local economic and social order.
Crafts, agriculture, production and trade, service providers, but also cultural workers should be included.
Consumers should be made aware of regional entrepreneurs serving the district's common good.
In short: the seal is intended to help people primarily buy local products.
However, the creation of such a seal is not as easy as the district administration explains.
The legal classification (competition neutrality of the public sector) must be clarified.
The attitude of the trade associations must be queried.
And it is important to examine the question of whether existing seals could be weakened.
In addition, it is still unclear: What criteria should which body award the seal?
The application that was ultimately initiated by Max Keil (ÖDP) was now before the district council's planning committee, where a controversial discussion ensued.
District Administrator Thomas Karmasin said that the application is so wonderful that one is inclined to agree immediately.
The devil, if there is one, might be in the details.
A lot of things still have to be clarified.
The district administrator made it clear: The district administration cannot shoulder the personnel effort.
Hans Thurner (FW) considered the proposal to be populist.
He warned against creating a "bureaucracy monster".
There are already many seals and advisory boards.
Hubert Ficker (CSU) did not necessarily want to contradict Thurner, but also emphasized that the seal should identify companies that produce here on site and create jobs here on site.
"It can be stillborn, but it can also succeed." Florian Jäger (AfD) thought it was an illusion that such a seal could influence consumers' purchasing decisions.
In contrast, Max Keil only referred to the word "seal" as a working title. The aim is to form a community based on solidarity. Those affected would also have to go along with it. A large majority in the committee voted against the votes of Thurner and Jäger in favor of entrusting the regional advisory board with further discussions on the subject. st