Current status of the PR industry: Stable, but under pressure to save money
Job security in the PR industry remains high, but budgets are coming under increasing pressure. This is shown by the latest PR Trend Monitor from News Aktuell and PER, for which 276 communications professionals from Switzerland and Germany were surveyed.
The vast majority of PR professionals see their professional situation as stable: 81% rate their job as secure or very secure. This means that the feeling of security in the industry remains almost at the same level as the previous year, when 87% saw their job as secure. At the same time, many companies are struggling with cost-cutting measures that also affect communication budgets. Almost half of those surveyed (45%) expect budgets to shrink, while only 15% expect them to grow.
Communication under cost pressure
The main reason for the falling budgets are company-wide cost-cutting programs, which 80% of respondents cite as the reason. Budget shifts to other areas of the company (37%) and an increased focus on in-house PR instead of external support (27%) are also putting pressure on communication budgets. Just under a fifth cite investments in more cost-effective digital channels and an increase in efficiency through technical support as reasons.
According to the survey results, insufficient measurability (16 percent), the reduced importance of communication for the company (15 percent) and the reduction of communication activities due to a reduced need for communication (7 percent) are less significant.
Despite the financial restrictions, business development remains stable: 42% rate it as satisfactory, while 34% expect a positive development. However, around a fifth (21%) see poor to very poor prospects for 2025.
Mixed career prospects
A differentiated picture emerges with regard to personal career prospects. While 31% of respondents expect an improvement, 36% expect the situation to remain stable. However, the proportion of those who fear a deterioration in their professional situation has increased: 30% expect a negative development, compared to 25% in the previous year.
