After decades of providing respected economic analysis and data, 12 months ago we formalised our offer through the establishment of the BCC Insights Unit. Now we’ve been recognised for the quality of our economic forecasting. This week, we were named best forecaster for UK GDP in the 2024 FocusEconomics Analyst Forecast Awards. The awards celebrate the work of over 1,500 economists from organisations around the world.
It’s a proud moment for our hard-working team who work in partnership with experts at Cambridge Econometrics, to produce our headline making Quarterly Economic Forecasts.
GDP is the single most important measure of how the economy is doing – and it continues to dominate the economic and political debate. The question of growth has been front and centre of the election campaign.
So why is our forecasting so reliable and credible? It’s because of the unique position of the BCC and the unparalleled insight we are able to draw on. The Insights Unit runs the UK’s leading independent program of business surveys, gathering views from tens of thousands of businesses of all shapes and sizes. We collect data on the market trends that are affecting them and which ultimately have decisive impacts on the economy. Our data has consistently anticipated major trends in the UK economy, such as the 2008 recession, economic impact of Covid lockdowns, and the 2021 inflation surge.
On top of our data, the BCC’s network of world-class experts is unrivalled. Our Economic Advisory Panel, made of up of some of the UK’s leading economists meets regularly to refine our forecasts. The panel also helps shape our economic policies to boost the UK’s growth and prosperity.
The economic turmoil of recent years has shown that strong intelligence rooted in clear evidence has never been more important. The BCC Insights Unit stands ready to support organisations of all types to address their evidence needs and provide unrivaled data from businesses across the UK.
If you would like to find out how your organisation can benefit from the BCC Insights Unit’s data and consultancy, get in touch today.
Our team
- David Bharier, Head of Research
- Stuart Morrison, Research Manager
- Caterina Batog, Research & Economics Analyst