In 2004 the Tuscan economy recorded a growth of 0.9 percent, inferior to the national average growth of 1.2 percent, and forecasts are not looking any better. Predictions are that growth could remain at 0 or even fall as far as -0.7 percent in 2005, lows that have not been reached since the end of World War II.
The study conducted by IRPET (Regional Institute for the Economic Programming of Tuscany) declared the growth modest, but it did also note that exports were up by 3.1 percent this year.
The suffering areas seem to be tourism, which has fallen by 5.5 percent, and industry, which has recorded a 3.1 percent fall in production since the beginning of this year. Small, artisan businesses have been hit the hardest, recording a 6.5 percent loss in total earnings
