8% rate the government’s handling of the economy as very good, 52% as acceptable, 28% could have been better and 8% as shocking. 

The panel predicts interest rates will be at (average) 0.8% in 1 year’s time and 1.88% in 3 years’ time.

Not a single respondent expects the economy to grow significantly over the coming year, whilst 24% expect it to grow marginally.  A further 45% expect it to stay much the same as it is now, whilst 29% expect it to shrink a little and 2% shrink a lot.  These figures are down versus last year.

On the whole the panel are far more bullish about the prospects for their own organisations compared to those for their wider industry.  Someone somewhere is going to be disappointed!

The Retail sector is the most pessimistic, with 92% predicting things are going to get a little tougher / be very hard.  Transport & Travel are the only ones who predict ‘carnage’.