Quarterly Economic Survey QES Q1 – 2025
April 7, 2025
The Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) is the UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment and a leading indicator of UK GDP growth.
This week’s increases to employer National Insurance Contributions (NIC) and National Living Wage (NLW) has led to the businesses we survey saying they are less likely to recruit.
There has been many fiscal pressures applied to business from employment through to tariffs this week. The latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for the East of England is here – and it paints a strong picture of the pressures local businesses are facing:
- 83% say labour costs are a major concern
- 53% are struggling to recruit for skilled manual and technical roles
- 27% saw a boost in overseas sales
- 66% of businesses are operating below capacity
- 41% believe profitability will worsen over the next year
As cost pressures mount and uncertainty grow, the call for decisive government action is becoming more prominent.
Read the full QES Q1 2025 report to see how businesses are navigating the economic landscape – and how your voice can influence regional policy.
Click here to download the full QES report.
Please contact Shauna Kelly at marketing@cambscci.co.uk to get involved in the next quarterly survey.