The British Chambers of Commerce has published new survey data which show that the vast majority of responding businesses have no plans in place to require evidence of vaccination from customers, suppliers or employees.
The British Chambers of Commerce has published new survey data which show that the vast majority of responding businesses have no plans in place to require evidence of vaccination from customers, suppliers or employees.
Report calls for a root and branch reform of the UK’s training system to help businesses access the skills they need to boost productivity.
The British Chambers of Commerce today released its Quarterly Recruitment Outlook for Q1 2021. The new figures show continued weakness in the job market in Q1, with 60% of the nearly 6000 businesses surveyed saying they had not attempted to recruit during the quarter. However, the percentage of firms expecting their workforce to grow in the next three months rose from 19% in Q4 2020 to 27% in Q1, the highest percentage since Q1 2020 and a return to pre-pandemic levels more broadly.
Report finds that new ways of working introduced during the pandemic offer opportunities for both employers and staff, highlights how supporting employees’ mental wellbeing will become increasingly important, and says equipping school-leavers with skills to deal with new working arrangements will be vital.
The British Chambers of Commerce today announced the publication of new research which shows a rising number of firms expecting their prices to increase significantly in the coming months. The figures also document growing concern among businesses over rising inflation. The data, drawn from responses from more than 5,800 firms, shows 2 in 5 businesses (38%) in Q1 2021 expect to see their prices increase in the next three months, an increase from 25% in the previous quarter. In contrast, only 5% of firms are expecting a decrease.
The British Chambers of Commerce’s Trade Confidence Outlook for Q1, released today, has revealed the stark issues facing UK exporters in the first months of this year. The survey of more than 2,900 UK exporters revealed that the percentage of firms reporting decreased export sales had increased to 41%, up from 38% in the previous quarter. The percentage of businesses reporting increased export sales fell to 20%, down from 22% in Q4 2020. 40% reported no change in their export sales.
UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment and a leading indicator of UK GDP growth – found that business conditions remained historically poor in the first quarter of 2021 as the third lockdown severely limited activity.
Results from the latest British Chambers of Commerce survey, in partnership with moneycorp, found that while 44% of UK exporters to the EU plan to grow their exports to the European Union, nearly a quarter (23%) are looking to either reduce their activity in the EU or have no activity at all in the next 12 months, following the ratification of the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement. Two-thirds of UK businesses are looking to increase activity in the domestic market.
The BCC is calling for the UK Government to set out a clear roadmap for reopening as its COVID impact survey finds many firms have been pushed to the brink.
Results from the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO), in partnership with Totaljobs, found that the number of firms attempting to recruit in the third quarter had increased on the previous one, albeit from historic lows.
