+0.2 on previous index reading
At 90.3 in October 2021, the Business Pulse was up 0.2 on last month and 31.7 higher than a year ago. The Construction Pulse led the way this month, with the Industry and Retail Pulses also a little firmer. The Services Pulse slipped however, with many firms indicating that uncertainty about economic policy – in general and specific to the sector – is holding them back. The October research also considered the ability of businesses to compete in foreign markets. The results show some softening in competitiveness for firms in industry over the past 3 months, which had less to do with exchange rate moves than with global supply chain disruption and higher costs (three in five are experiencing material and equipment shortages, while four in five have seen an increase in non-labour input costs).
