EU Business Climate Report Georgia 2024: economic growth faces political, workforce and structural barriers

Despite continued economic growth in 2023 and early 2024, businesses in Georgia are facing a number of challenges, primarily driven by political uncertainty and workforce shortages, according to the newly released EU Business Climate Report Georgia 2024. The survey, conducted among up to 200 companies with European links, highlights concerns that could hinder long-term economic stability.

The report underscores three critical obstacles affecting businesses:

• Political Instability: the stalled EU accession process since June 2024, coupled with upcoming parliamentary elections, has impacted business environment – 76.7 % of companies cite instability as a major concern
• Workforce Deficit & Skills Gap: nearly half of surveyed companies report skills shortages leading to 5-40% underperformance, with an estimated annual GDP loss of 26%.
• Exchange Rate Fluctuations: currency instability continues to challenge businesses in financial planning and investment decisions.

Additionally, concerns over corruption and regulatory inefficiencies have been raised by businesses, particularly in relation to tax policies, public procurement, and the judicial system, further complicating the investment climate.

One of the most important findings is the severe shortage of skilled labour, which has led to an annual income loss of 55.6 billion GEL across businesses. High emigration and mismatched education programmes further worsen this issue. Despite its cost, investing in internal workforce training has shown a positive return for businesses proving that workforce development is a key driver of resilience.

Meanwhile, while the EU remains Georgia’s largest trade partner, exports to the EU fell by 18% in 2023 (Geostat figures), primarily due to high compliance costs for EU standards, lack of accredited laboratories for European certification, and limited understanding of regulatory frameworks among businesses.

The report calls for accelerated judicial and education reforms to enhance business confidence. While economic growth continues, it is overshadowed by political uncertainties, workforce shortages, and trade barriers. To maintain momentum, Georgia must address these structural issues to secure long-term stability and EU market access, the report says.

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