After declining for three consecutive quarters, and indeed falling into negative territory in the final quarter of 2017, small business confidence has rebounded in Q1 2018. The FSB Small Business Index now stands a +6.0 compared to -2.5 at the end of last year. The uptick follows a broader set of positive data releases. The recently published Q4 2017 GDP figures showed a pick-up in growth, with both production and services making a positive contribution. Various measures of consumer confidence have also become more buoyant recently, showing that it is not just businesses that are more hopeful about the future. And of course, the OBR reports that the economy grew by 1.7% in 2017, compared to the 1.5% forecast at the Autumn Budget, and has revised its forecast for GDP growth from 1.4% to 1.5%.

 

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Contact:
Nina Skero
+44 (0)20 7324 2876
nskero@cebr.com