Regional Network contacts expect growth to remain firm in 2025 Q2 and Q3. International trade barriers are increasing uncertainty, but only a few contacts expect that this will lead to lower growth in the period to autumn. Increased defence investment and higher aquaculture output are boosting growth. Contacts also expect higher sales of durable goods and further growth in tourism. Moreover, a number of construction contacts expect residential construction to pick up somewhat through autumn.

Contacts expect lower investment in 2025 than in 2024 and fairly stable investment in 2026.

In this survey, 35% of contacts report that they would not be able to boost activity without hiring or increasing production capacity in other ways. This percentage is unchanged since the previous survey. At the same time, 23 percent of contacts, slightly fewer than in the previous survey, report difficulties in recruiting the qualified labour they need to boost activity.. Contacts are planning to increase employment in both 2025 Q2 and Q3.

Contacts expect annual wage growth of 4.5 percent in 2025 and 4.0 percent in 2026. Overall, profitability among contacts has improved compared with one year ago.

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