Almost one in three jobs within Greek small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been lost since the dawn of the crisis, according to recently published 2013 data. Meanwhile, more than 200,000 SMEs have failed in the same time period. SBA Facts, the annual report of the European Commission on Small Businesses, has recently shown that Greece lost 27% (630,000) of jobs generated by small and medium-businesses. In 2008 alone, one in four SMEs shut down. Even as the Greek economy begins its slow turnaround, total employment is expected to drop by 106,000 job positions, while a further 40,000 more businesses are expected to close. Compared to the EU average, Greece ranks last in all sector indices: second chance, internationalization, access to funding, single market, public procurement, environment, skills, entrepreneurship. The European Commission report notes that the Greek government’s policies towards SMEs remains weak. Moreover, Greece continues to fail to carry out studies on the effects of legislative measures and structural reforms on SMEs (SME Test). The recent SBA report has highlighted the need for permanent measures to evaluate the government’s policies. In Europe generally, there has been a slow, albeit uneven and unsteady recovery of SMEs. Although the European export sector has improved, SMEs have not benefited, seeing as they operate in sectors of non-internationally traded goods. The crisis has also precipitated a two-speed framework between northern and southern businesses and those of the former eastern bloc countries. A recent SBA conference in Naples was attended by representatives of the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen & Merchants (GSEVEE) and the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (NCHC), who submitted figures and proposals.
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