Outlook cloudy for many

FEW of Spain’s self­employed have noticed an improvement in their economic situation. This was the same or worse than a year ago, they said.

A survey by the Spanish Association of Self­employed Workers (ATA) found that, compared with the first quarter of 2022, their finances had improved for only 21 per cent of the self­employed.

It had remained the same for 46 per cent of Spain’s ‘autonomos’ while a further 33 per cent of participants in the poll maintained that their situation was now worse. Meanwhile, only 20 per cent believed their business interests would improve in the coming months, while 70 per cent calculated that it would remain the same or could even deteriorate.