With 2023 already started, many of us are thinking about the future and what we should expect this year. After a difficult 2022, the question arises - will this year also be characterized by rapidly rising prices, or perhaps we can expect a better economic situation? Despite all the hopes, however, analysts predict that although the economic situation will improve this year, Europe will still have to face high inflation and other problems caused by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be behind us, its negative impact is still felt across Europe. The war in Ukraine and the energy crisis provoked by it are also major contributing factors to the economic hurdles faced by the EU. Although analysts predict that the economy should not shrink very much this year, the situation will not be ideal - it will be difficult to recover from a very stressful year, so a real recession may await us. This year, half of European countries should experience an economic recession due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This should especially affect Lithuania, as the current situation is likely to worsen the business environment. Companies located in other countries often see Lithuania as a country in a risky position and this negatively affects its investment attractiveness. Given this and the negative future prospects some transport companies may decide to suspend their operations or work on a smaller scale, as it is difficult to successfully survive in the market under such conditions.

This year will also be negatively impacted by the continuing price increases. Inflation - an increase in the general price level - negatively affects every consumer, as the purchasing power decreases, with the same amount of money a person can buy fewer goods than before. Although the inflation rate is predicted to be lower this year compared to 2022, its level will remain high. This means that high inflation will negatively affect every ordinary consumer - product prices will be higher, the interest rate will increase making it more difficult to borrow money, and the value of savings will decrease.

It's crucial to note that high inflation also affects the companies themselves. Although fuel prices are already lower than they were in 2022, they are predicted to remain high. High energy and fuel prices mean that it is increasingly difficult for transport companies to operate successfully. Rising production costs are forcing some companies to operate on a smaller scale, reduce the number of employees, and cut down on clients. So while the driver shortage in Europe remains a problem, transport companies may want to hire fewer drivers as long as the economic situation remains difficult.

Although these forecasts do not sound too optimistic, this does not mean that this year will be as economically distressing as 2022 - inflation rates should still be lower, and the impact of the energy crisis should decrease as the prices fall. However, it is important to remember that the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine are still strongly impacting Europe, thus countries need time to adapt to the changed economic climate in order to revive the economy and stimulate its growth again.
 

Keywords: jobs for drivers, jobs for long-haul drivers, transport sector, inflation, recession