PR mood barometer 2024: Job security despite shaky budgets

Despite increasing uncertainty about communication budgets, the majority of PR professionals surveyed are optimistic about the current financial year, as the survey shows. Almost 90 percent of those surveyed stated that they consider their jobs to be very secure or secure. In contrast, the majority expect budgets to stagnate or even decline. The general business development and personal professional situation, on the other hand, are viewed rather positively.

PR professionals see their jobs as secure

More than half of those surveyed consider their current job to be secure (52%). Over a third (35%) even believe that their current job is very secure. A smaller proportion of PR professionals (11 percent) are worried about their own job: 9 percent state that their current job is insecure and 2 percent even consider it to be very insecure.

Differences can be seen between PR professionals from agencies and media outlets: Respondents from agencies clearly see their job as less secure, with almost one in five believing their job is at risk this year (19 percent uncertain or very uncertain). In the case of media outlets, only just over one in twenty respondents fear losing their job in 2024 (7 percent uncertain or very uncertain).

Communication budgets are wobbling

This job security is particularly striking when the results are compared with the development of communication budgets in 2024. While PR professionals are optimistic about the future when asked about job security, the results of the question about the development of communication budgets show a great deal of uncertainty. A significant proportion of respondents assume that their own company's communications budget or that of their clients will stagnate or even fall this year: 43% state that it will remain unchanged, 37% assume that it will shrink or shrink significantly. Only around one in six see a positive development and believe that the communication budget will increase or rise sharply (16%).

Media agencies are also more optimistic on this point: a good one in five believe that the communication budget will increase or even increase significantly (21%). In comparison, not even one in ten agencies expect an increase or a strong increase (8 percent).

Positive trends in general business development

Despite the majority of concerns about budgets, the results of the PR Trend Monitor show rather positive signals with regard to the general business development of the industry. A majority of respondents describe current business development as satisfactory or even rather good or very good (43% satisfactory, 31% rather good, 7% very good). Less than a fifth see business at risk in 2024 (16% rather poor, 2% very poor).

Own professional situation remains unchanged or improves

The results on the professional situation reflect these positive trends. PR professionals are rather confident about the year that has just begun: 37% say that their professional situation in 2024 will remain unchanged compared to the previous year. 30 percent even believe that things will get better and 5 percent expect the professional situation to improve significantly. Only a quarter of respondents expect their career prospects to worsen or even deteriorate significantly this year: 21% expect it to get worse, 4% clearly worse.

The results at a glance

Do you think that 2024 will be better or worse for you professionally compared to 2023?

• Clearly better 5%
• Rather better 30%
• Exactly the same 37%
• Rather poor 21%
• Clearly worse 4%
• Do not know 3%

How will your company's communication budget develop in 2024 and how will your customers' communication budgets develop in 2024?

• Will rise sharply 2%
• Will rise 14%
• Unchanged 43%
• Will shrink 31%
• Will shrink considerably 6%
• Do not know 3%

How do you assess the general business development of your company for 2024?

• Very good 7%
• Rather good 31%
• Satisfactory 43%
• Rather poor 16%
• Very bad 2%
• Don't know 2%

How secure do you think your current job will be in 2024?

• Very safe 35%
• Safe 52%
• Unsafe 9%
• Very unsafe 2%
• Don't know 2%

For the PR Trend Monitor News Aktuell and PER conducted an online survey in February 2024 with 327 communicators from companies, organizations and PR agencies in Switzerland and Germany.