Disabled Enterprises See Decline in December Business Sentiment Index... January Outlook Also Dim

December BSI at 76.5, Down 2.4 Points From Previous Month
January Outlook Index at 77.8

In December of last year, the business sentiment index for enterprises led by people with disabilities declined compared to the previous month. The business outlook index for January of this year also saw a slight decrease from the previous month.

Comprehensive Support Center for Disabled Enterprises '2025 December Disabled Enterprises Trend Survey Results'. Jang Gijong

According to the "2025 December Disabled Enterprises Trend Survey Results" released by the Comprehensive Support Center for Disabled Enterprises on January 29, the business sentiment index (BSI) for disabled enterprises in December of last year was 76.5 points, down 2.4 points from the previous month. During the same period, the business outlook index for January of this year decreased by 2.3 points to 77.8 points.

The business sentiment index is an economic indicator that quantifies business performance and subjective opinions. A score above 100 points indicates economic improvement, while a score below 100 points signals economic deterioration.

By region, the December sentiment index rose in Jeju (86.1 points) and Gyeongsang (77.7 points), but declined in Gangwon (76.5 points), Chungcheong (75.6 points), Jeolla (75.6 points), and the Seoul Metropolitan Area (74.1 points). For the business outlook index in January of this year, Jeju (81.9 points) and the Seoul Metropolitan Area (81.6 points) saw increases, while Gangwon (64.3 points), Jeolla (80.0 points), Gyeongsang (75.9 points), and Chungcheong (77.6 points) experienced declines.

By industry, only the "other industries" category (90.3 points) saw an increase in the December sentiment index, while sectors such as wholesale and retail (75.9 points) recorded declines. For the January outlook index, construction (81.7 points) and other industries (84.7 points) saw increases, while wholesale and retail (75.9 points) and others declined.

By degree of disability, the December sentiment index fell for both those with mild disabilities (76.9 points) and those with severe disabilities (73.5 points). The January outlook index also decreased for both mild (78.7 points) and severe disabilities (73.0 points).

The decline in both the business sentiment and outlook indexes for disabled enterprises this year is analyzed as a result of multiple factors: high interest rates and high inflation have significantly restricted private funding, while interest expenses and the burden of production and distribution costs have simultaneously increased.

Regarding the impact of rising loan interest rates, 27.2% of surveyed companies cited "a sharp decline in operating profit due to a surge in interest expenses," while 23.8% pointed to "liquidity crises caused by the burden of principal and interest repayments." As for the impact of rising exchange rates and raw material prices, 44.0% cited "increased production cost burden," followed by 26.4% who mentioned "higher incidental costs such as logistics and transportation expenses."

Jang Gijong, Director of the Comprehensive Support Center for Disabled Enterprises, stated, "Although government funding has shown a slight recovery, the contraction of private capital and the high interest rate and high inflation environment continue to make business conditions difficult on the ground. We will continue to strengthen tailored policy support to alleviate the management burden for disabled enterprises."