+2.4 on previous index reading
The Business Pulse came in at 86.9 in January 2020, up 2.4 on December’s reading but down 1.1 on a year ago. The four sectoral Pulses rose this month as some of the fog surrounding the Brexit process lifted. The pound has also rallied against the euro and with global trade tensions easing as well, industrial and services firms expect their export order books to strengthen in the period ahead. On the pay front, the January survey finds that just over two in five businesses are planning on increasing basic wages in the next 12 months – to the tune of 3.6% on average – while on the growth front, three in five have ambitions to expand in the next 1 to 3 years.
