A survey from small business group ISME has shown a continued drop in confidence among its member companies.
Its Winter survey of 500 firms found that 38% were less optimistic about business prospects over the next 12 months, while 15% were more optimistic. This net figure of minus 23 points is along the lines of the previous survey but compares with plus one point in the first survey of 2007.
Services was the most positive sector, with construction the least optimistic.
But ISME says employment prospects for the next 12 months are 'relatively positive', with companies expecting a rise in staff numbers outnumbering those expecting a fall by 10 percentage points. Construction and retail were the most negative on future job prospects.
Economic uncertainty was the biggest immediate concern for the companies surveyed (29%) followed by labour costs (14%).
