-3.9 on previous index reading
The Business Pulse stood at 85.6 in June 2022, 3.9 lower than in May and 7.5 lower than a year ago. The Industry, Retail and Construction Pulses actually rose this month but a drop in the Services Pulse – after a solid five-month run of gains – pulled the overall index down. The backdrop for firms in general remains challenging, with three in five finding it difficult to predict the future development of their business situation at present. On the costs and pricing fronts, the share reporting an increase in non-labour input costs over the past three months was stable in June (although still elevated at 87%), while the share expecting to up their selling prices in the near term eased for a second month running (to 62%).