It has been shown that small and medium-sized enterprises are reporting negatively on the economic situation in September. However, analysis indicates that they are reporting more positively compared to last month, supported by the recovery in exports and domestic demand.
The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises conducted a survey titled '2025 September Small and Medium Enterprises Economic Outlook Survey' from 3087 small and medium-sized enterprises from the 12th to the 19th of last month. The economic outlook index for September was 80.3, which is an increase of 5.7 points compared to the previous month and up 2.9 points from the same month last year.
The small and medium-sized enterprises economic outlook index is quantified through a survey of the economic conditions and forecasts that small and medium-sized enterprises perceive. A score above 100 indicates that small and medium-sized enterprises view the economy positively, while a score below 100 indicates a negative outlook.
The economic outlook for the manufacturing sector in September rose to 83.1, an increase of 6.4 points compared to the previous month, while the non-manufacturing sector saw an increase of 5.4 points to 79.1.
By industry, in manufacturing, 20 industries saw an increase compared to the previous month, including ▲Food products (83.6→98.0, ↑14.4 points), ▲Wood and wood products (59.6→73.9, ↑14.3 points), and ▲Beverages (76.4→90.3, ↑13.9 points). In contrast, three industries experienced a decline: ▲Metal processing products (82.6→78.0, ↓4.6 points) and ▲Electronic components, computers, video, audio and communication equipment (83.9→82.0, ↓1.9 points).
In the non-manufacturing sector, construction (69.5→70.6) rose by 1.1 points compared to the previous month, while the service sector (74.5→80.9) increased by 6.4 points. Within the service sector, ▲Arts, sports, and leisure-related services (76.2→92.4, ↑16.2 points), ▲Transportation (71.6→83.4, ↑11.8 points), and ▲Wholesale and retail (71.6→79.7, ↑8.1 points) saw increases compared to the previous month, while ▲Real estate (80.5→78.6, ↓1.9 points) and ▲Accommodation and food services (80.3→79.5, ↓0.8 points) experienced declines.
In terms of specific items, ▲Exports (78.2→89.5), ▲Domestic sales (72.8→79.3), ▲Operating profit (72.2→76.4), and ▲Funding conditions (74.4→76.6) all increased compared to the previous month. The reverse trend in employment (98.5→95.8) is also expected to improve compared to the previous month.
In August, the most significant obstacle for small and medium-sized enterprises in management was 'poor sales (product sales)' (60.6%), followed by ▲Rising labor costs (33.1%), ▲Rising materials and supplies prices (28.4%), and ▲Intensifying competition among firms (27.2%).
In July 2025, the average operating rate for small manufacturing corporations was 71.4%, rising by 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous month, but down 0.2 percentage points from the same month last year. By company size, small corporations (67.9%→68.0%) increased by 0.1 percentage points, while medium-sized corporations (74.3%→75.2%) rose by 0.9 percentage points compared to the previous month.