The family business warns about absenteeism as the new ‘Achilles heel’ of competitiveness

The Spanish economy faces the final stretch of 2025 with moderate expectations and growing concerns about its ability to sustain employment and territorial competitiveness. This is revealed by the IEF 2025 Burgos Surveya survey carried out on family businesses, which draws an economic panorama in which the regulatory uncertainty, lack of qualified professionals and increasing costs They appear as the greatest challenges for the productive fabric.

The survey presented during the XXVIII National Congress of Family Business highlights that Work absenteeism is the biggest enemy of the competitiveness of the Spanish economy. This is, at least, considered by 55% of the businessmen consulted, who also point out the difficulties in finding qualified personnel (52%) and regulatory changes (51%) among the main risks.

According to the report, businessmen who represent 70% of the private sector assess the current economic situation with an average of 5.66 points out of 9. Along these lines, six out of ten companies They anticipate “a moderate increase in activity, with limited net job creation,” while the rest predict more vigorous growth.

These forecasts have a direct impact on the strategic decisions of companies. 52% expect to maintain their sales level in 2026and although 39% plan to increase them, only one in two companies plans to increase their workforce. This balance between controlled growth and caution in hiring shows a business environment in ‘containment mode’.

When asked about the risks that most threaten their competitiveness, 71% of business owners point out the regulatory changes -both EU and national and regional- as the main concern. Added to this concern is the difficulty in finding qualified professionals (48%) and the increase in production costs (33%).

In a country that is still struggling to consolidate a solid recovery after the latest economic and geopolitical shocks, the lack of adequate professional profiles becomes a structural factor that limits the expansion of companies. In fact, 81% of companies identifies the shortage of workers willing to work in their places of origin as the main difficulty in maintaining their local activity. Added to this are infrastructure problems (75%) and business succession (28%), which shows that Inland Spain and rural environments continue to have structural barriers to retain and attract productive investment. Territorial roots versus centralization

Nine out of ten see little public support for roots

Despite these difficulties, the majority of family businesses maintain their commitment to the territory. 74% cite “rootedness” as one of the main reasons for continuing to operate in their original locationwhile 57% highlight the commitment to their economic and social environment. Regarding this aspect, the most striking thing is that only 12% recognize effective support from the administration.

In terms of business strategy, the priorities are clear. 36% of companies consider generational change a key objective, followed by innovation (24%) and international expansion (25%). However, only 8% mention the incorporation of artificial intelligencewhich denotes a slow advance of digitalization in many family SMEs.