Survey to offer last pre-election glimpse of business confidence

Businesses are being urged to take part in a survey that will provide a last look at their main concerns ahead of the General Election.

The results will provide a snapshot of confidence levels in the fourth quarter since the EU-Referendum last June and set a benchmark against which the success of the new Government can be judged.

The East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for the second three months of 2017 asks businesses how they have fared in the three months to the end of May and expect to fare in the three months from the start of June, including whether they expect their prices to rise and are considering increasing wages.

There are additional questions this quarter to determine relationships between growth and recruitment, planned investment in staff training and what factors might influence investment in training.

Whether employers believe they will get good value from the apprenticeship levy also features.

Data collated from the East Midlands Chamber QES will update the regional State of the Economy Index – which last quarter was at its highest since Q2 2105 – and is fed into the British Chambers of Commerce QES, which builds a national picture of business confidence and shapes the BCC’s interactions with Government.

Chris Hobson, the Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber, said:-

“It takes only a few minutes to complete the survey and the information it gives us is vital to driving our policies and the issues on which we will campaign on behalf of businesses.

“You don’t have to be a Chamber member to take part, the important thing is that we get as many businesses as possible to complete the survey so that we build the most accurate picture possible and can make sure our lobbying activities properly reflect the concerns of regional businesses.”

To take part in the survey click here. The closing date is 12 June.