The UIA’s Study Center pointed out that industrial activity stood at 45.3 points in July, below the expansion threshold for the thirteenth consecutive survey. This represented a 2.3 percent drop in the seventh month of the year and 4.3 percent less production than in December 2024. This is combined with ongoing worker layoffs.

Among the main variables analyzed by the UIA in the study, which covered 787 companies from different branches, regions, and sizes, negative results predominated: 36.3 percent of companies reduced their production compared to the second-quarter average, while 21.8 percent reported increases.

Furthermore, 43.5 percent of companies reported sales declines and only 18.6 percent reported increases. Regarding exports, 30.5 percent of the surveyed firms reported declines, while 16.6 percent managed to export.

Regarding employment, 24.4 percent of companies reduced their staff, with unemployment reaching its highest level, similar to that of April last year.

The discouraged business sector tempered its optimism for the future, with 40.1 percent citing the drop in domestic demand as their main concern, followed by rising costs (21.4 percent).

A smaller proportion of companies foresee improvements in their economic situation in the coming months (48.6 percent versus 57.8 percent in the previous survey), and more than half warned of an increase in the informal supply of products similar to theirs due to contraband.

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