The energy and economic crisis is leaving visible marks across industries. According to an internal survey conducted by the cleaning trades association, which was reported on by newspapers from the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” two-thirds of businesses in Germany are cleaning their premises less frequently than before to save money.
The survey found that 49 percent of surveyed companies reported a “noticeable decline” in clients or customer orders. A larger proportion, 65 percent, stated that their service volume has been reduced by customers. The sectors making the most cuts in commercial cleaning services are industry and offices/administration, each reporting a 26 percent reduction. Trade and retail sectors followed, with a reported reduction of 21 percent.
Furthermore, 29 percent of businesses have already had to lay off employees due to poor business conditions in recent months, and 41 percent anticipate needing to take similar steps in the current fiscal year.
High fuel prices significantly impact the cleaning sector, as the industry is decentralized and highly reliant on mobility. A vast majority, 88 percent, stated they are suffering from the sharply increased mobility costs.
The Federal Innkeepers’ Association for the Cleaning Trade (BIV) has been surveying the sector’s mood twice a year since 2019, and the current outlook is exceptionally poor. Only 16 percent of surveyed companies anticipate a positive outlook for the year, representing a drop of three percentage points compared to the autumn survey. Half of the respondents expect business to remain stable, while 34 percent anticipate negative developments. Overall, this marks the most pessimistic mood surveyed since the beginning of the BIV’s economic surveys.
The outlook for 2027 remains critical, a sentiment echoed by the perception of the government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). On a satisfaction scale of 1 to 10, the federal government achieved a score of merely 3.7 points. The association noted that a key driver of this dissatisfaction is the desire for swift reforms in social contributions.
The head of the association, Thomas Dietrich, commented that proposals for the healthcare system were submitted in March, with pension reform ideas expected in June. He asserted that the federal government is now expected to act consistently and quickly. He emphasized that the core issue lies in the structural reform of the social security systems, stating that the future of the region’s economy critically depends on the success of these changes-and, by extension, on the credibility of the current administration.
