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Confidence in the UK business is declining as Omicron expands

The trust of UK business leaders “collapsed” in December Omicron coronavirus variants confirmed that the epidemic was about to end, with many regulators planning to offer more money to consumers, according to a study by the hospitality team.

The Institute of Directors’ economic confidence index – the number of directors who say they are optimistic about the UK’s economic performance next year apart from the unpredictable – has dropped to 17 December, from six last month.

Kitty Ussher, an IoD economist, said the “volatile” confidence in the UK economy “fell in December when the Omicron brand changed consumer practices and diminished hopes that the epidemic would lead us”.

That figure, based on a survey that took place between December 13 and 30, based on the Omicron spread, dropped from 27 percent in June and was the lowest since November last year, with most of the country. was in lockdown.

The IoD is a non-political organization, with about 20,000 members from a wide range of backgrounds, including senior executives and corporate executives.

The survey also found that about three-thirds of executives said they expect inflation to rise over the next 12 months, with the same percentage saying they will raise prices more or less to curb inflation. Only 6 percent of respondents said they would increase funding in designated areas to increase productivity in order to cope with rising costs.

“We are now seeing widespread evidence of inflation that has stabilized the entire economy without the slightest doubt by business leaders to increase prices,” Ussher said.

These figures strengthen expectations that UK inflation will rise significantly beyond the Bank of England’s target of 2 per cent in the coming months. In December, the bank quantity interest rates ranged from 0.1 per cent to 0.25 per cent – its first rise in more than three years – to offset inflation which rose to 5.1 per cent in November.

The decline in confidence could hurt businesses, Ussher said, as companies “cannot act if the weather looks uncertain”.

About 31 percent of executives still expect inflation to rise next year, according to economists. hope business finance reimbursement promoted by a tax-deductible incentive applicable to plants and machinery.

However, the share was two per cent lower than in November, with an increase in directors expecting revenue to decline next year.

This is important because “we need the money for economic growth,” Ussher said. Investment is a major source of productivity growth.

However, most encouragingly, the trustees’ confidence in their organization has not diminished, with about 54 percent feeling that their company will have hope in the next 12 months in December, compared with 15 percent feeling hopeless. This is similar to what was written in November 2021.


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