Performance in sales and orders, challenges in hiring staff and anticipated profit are among insight to be reported by the region’s businesses as East Midlands Chamber opens its first Quarterly Economic Survey of 2025.
Business leaders from multiple sectors are being urged to share experience and expectations for the months ahead across areas ranging from investment intention to future pricing.
Corporate taxation, inflation and business rates were the greatest concerns of businesses in the most recent survey, conducted after the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget.
Compiled from a combination of measurable data and sentiment, the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey is a key indicator of challenges and opportunities identified by East Midlands businesses. The findings are recognised by economists, the Bank of England and the government.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “The last Quarterly Economic Survey painted an alarming picture – an almost total turnaround in all measures, with nearly all the data tracking business performance and projected growth pointing in a negative direction. Businesses reported significant drops in sales and orders, both within the UK and overseas; the number of businesses saying they plan to pull back on recruitment doubled and there was a huge fall of 38% in businesses expecting to make a profit.
“When businesses are in a good place, they tend to cite competition as one of their primary concerns and will often have plans to spend on things like machinery or increased headcount. Those are signs of healthy, confident operation. In the last survey, we saw protective measures taking shape, with investment plans stalling and corporate taxation, inflation and business rates soaring to the top of reported worries. Reeling from the tough announcements made in the Autumn Budget, requiring firms to prepare for higher costs from April this year, the picture seemed to be a general tightening of the belt.
“Tracking the changing experience of East Midlands businesses is vital and having a wide range of respondents provides the most useful results. This is the first Quarterly Economic Survey of 2025 and I’d urge businesses of all sizes to take a few moments to share their experiences and expectations for the months ahead.”
