Only one in five self-employed people is optimistic about the next three months, the bank SEB’s entrepreneur indicator shows. It is the lowest figure since the measurements began almost two years ago, in the middle of the pandemic.
One who feels this is Tomas Jansson, who runs a taxi company.
– Diesel is extremely expensive right now. But it is not only that, there are the other costs as well with the interest rates and the electricity. It’s tough, but we’re fighting, he says.
Since the pandemic, Tomas Jansson has had to drive double full-time to get the company going.
And it’s generally gloomy among sole proprietors in particular right now. Only 20 percent view the next three months positively, a slight decrease from 23 percent but part of a longer trend where those who view the future negatively outnumber those who view it positively.
An additional stone on the burden is the tax that entrepreneurs were given a deferment on during the pandemic – because now it has to be paid.
– If we enter a recession in 2023, I think we will see a wave of bankruptcies, predicts Tomas Jansson.