Guest commentary: We are losing medium-sized businesses in rural areas
Family businesses are, in some cases for the first time in decades, reducing their number of employees. As existential fears grow, this gives a boost to extreme parties, writes David Deißner.
As state elections approach in Sachsen-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the focus is on the rural areas, which make up around three quarters of East Germany's districts. In Germany as a whole, 57 percent of citizens live in rural areas, but their concerns are often overlooked in urban-dominated political debates. The rural economy is driven largely by family-owned businesses, which account for over half of companies with more than 50 employees and provide most jobs in rural areas.
These businesses, often found in small towns and villages, include world market leaders and internationally active companies.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
