The Business Confederation of Madrid (CEIM), in collaboration with the Community of Madrid and with support from CEPREDE, has presented the 42nd Sectoral Barometer. This report, covering the first half of 2026 and the outlook for the second, analyzes the perception of Madrid's business owners regarding the regional economy.
The results for the first half of 2026 indicate that key variables such as business volume, employment, and innovation performed better than anticipated. Although external activity, investment, and subcontracting moderated their pace, most of these indicators remained in expansion territory, with subcontracting being the exception, falling below the 50-point threshold.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, business owners anticipate a moderation in the pace of activity, while maintaining a favorable outlook and expecting growth to continue. However, they point to persistent structural challenges such as labor absenteeism and difficulty in finding qualified personnel.
Jaime Martínez, Director General of Economy for the Community of Madrid, highlighted the solidity of the Madrid economy despite the current context of uncertainty. He noted that economic growth will moderate in 2027 but will remain above the national average. He also presented three strategic projects underway: the Law for Family Business Support, the new Industrial Plan, and the Law against Hyper-regulation to combat administrative and bureaucratic obstacles.
For his part, Francisco Piedras, President of CEIM's Commission for Economic and Financial Affairs, expressed satisfaction with the positive economic evolution, emphasizing the region's dynamism in economic growth and tourism, and expressed optimism for a more stable international scenario in the second half of the year.
