EUROPEAN SMEs

according to Annual Report

on European SMEs 2013/2014

SMEs AS THE BACKBONE

OF EUROPEAN ECONOMY

99

OUT OF

EVERY 100
BUSINESSES
ARE SMEs

SMEs employ 2 in every 3 employees

and produce 58 cents in every euro
of value added1

9 out of 10 of the EU SMEs are micros

(less than 10 employees)

SMEs EMPLOYMENT

Micro
29%
<10 people

Small
21%
10-49

Medium
17%

Large
33%

50-249

>250

5 KEY SECTORS2 ACCOUNT FOR:

78% of all SMEs
71% of the SMEs
value added
79% of SMEs employment
in European Union
100%

Value added = net contribution of the company to the economy

Manufacturing, construction, business services,

accommodation and food, wholesale and retail trade

A FRAGILE AND PARTIAL

RECOVERY FOR SMEs IN 2013
2013 vs. 2012

2013 vs. 2008

+1,1%

+1,2%

Value added

Number of
enterprises

-0,9%

Employment

-0,5%

or 44 billion

+1,7%

or 350 000

+2,1%

or 1 900 000 empl.

Compared to 2012,
SMEs in the non-financial
business sector in 2013

Compared to pre-crisis
levels (2008)

TOTAL

TRADE

10%
5

CONSTRUCTION

15%
10

MANUFACTURING

FULL RECOVERY IN SERVICES, BUT CONSTRUCTION

AND MANUFACTURING STILL BEHIND

-10%
-10

OTHER SECTORS

BUSINESS SERVICES

-5%
-5

ACCOMODATION FOOD

0%
0

-15%
-15

-20%
-20

Employment growth in SMEs by sector

and size class (2008 2013)

finding customers is the most pressing issue

for SMEs in the EU28
Most pressing problems facing SMEs in the EU28 in 2013
FINDING
CUSTOMERS

ACCESSTO FINANCE

22,4%
15,4%

REGULATION

14,2%

AVAILIBILITY OF
 KILLED STAFF OR
S
EXPERIENCED MANAGERS

14,2%

COMPETITION

COST OF PRODUCTION
OR LABOUR

13,8%
12,9%
Source: EC/ECB - Safe Wave 9

MOST EU COUNTRIES STILL STRUGGLE

WITH POST CRISIS EFFECTS
Ratio of value added of SMEs 2013 to 20081

Ranking
according
to ratio of
employment2
in SMEs
2013 to 2008
(from 1 to 27)

1. DE
2. FR
3. MT
4. SE
5. LU
6. AT
7. BE
8. UK
9. CZ
10. FI
11. NL
12. PL
13. RO
14. EE
15. BG
16. HU
17. SI
18. DK
19. IT
20. LT
21. LV
22. CY
23. HR
24. IE
25. PT
26. ES
27. EL
Note: due to a break in series, the ratio for Slovakia is 2010-2013

Positive value added and

employment ratio
1
2

Positive value added but

negative employment ratio

value added of SMEs in 2013 / value added of SMEs in 2008; index: 2008 = 100
employment in SMEs 2013 / employment in SMEs 2008; index: 2008=100

POSITIVE OUTLOOK
ON THE HORIZON
OUTLOOK FOR EU28 SMEs
till 2015

Value added

+6,3%

Number
of SMEs

+0,1%

Employment

+0,8%

Negative value added and

negative employment ratio