First quarter of 2023 reflects good performance of micro and small industries

In the first quarter of 2023, the Small Industry Performance Index recorded an average of 44.0 points, a result that can be considered positive when compared to the average performance for the first quarters (42.6 points) and even when compared to the historical average (43.8 points).

The CNI Policy and Industry analyst, Paula Verlangeiro, explains that the index for the first quarter was driven by March, which registered 46.6 points. “The first two months (January and February) are usually slower months, so March was more positive and ended up pushing the quarterly result upwards”. She adds that the Performance Index analyzes issues of production, number of employees and use of industrial capacity.

For economist Fernando Carvalho Dantas, this is possibly due to the effects of the last months of 2022, which, according to him, were very good for the sector. Dantas reinforces that small industries play a fundamental role in the Brazilian economy. “They are part of production chains that are normally made up of other companies that generate a multiplier effect and that end up being quite important in generating wealth for the country”.

The president of the Parliamentary Front for Micro and Small Enterprises, deputy Jorge Goetten (PL-SC), believes that the relatively positive scenario goes further. “Several factors contributed to the improvement in performance, such as the entrepreneurial spirit of Brazilians in commerce, industry and other sectors and the resumption of post-pandemic activities, which enabled the economy to warm up, allowing money to circulate again.”

About the Small Industry Panorama

The Panorama of Small Industry lists four indicators: performance, financial situation, prospects and confidence index. All indices range from 0 to 100 points. The larger it is, the better the sector’s performance.

The composition of the indices takes into account items such as production volume, number of employees, use of installed capacity, satisfaction with operating profit, financial situation, ease of access to credit, expected growth in demand and investment and hiring intentions. In addition, the research also brings the ranking of the main problems faced by MSEs in each quarter.

The survey is released quarterly based on the analysis of small industry data collected in the Industrial Survey, the Construction Industry Survey and the Industrial Entrepreneur Confidence Index (ICEI). Every month, surveys hear about 900 entrepreneurs from small businesses.