British business confidence fell to its lowest level of 2024 in December, but employers were a bit more optimistic about the wider economy, according to a survey published today, while separate data showed a pre-Christmas rise in hiring and pay.
The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer measure of confidence among companies fell by 2 points to 39%, still above its long-run average of 29%.
Britain's economy contracted in September and October—the first consecutive monthly falls in output since the COVID-19 pandemic—as employers worried about the new government's first budget, which was announced on October 30.
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