Quarterly Economic Survey - quarter 2 2024

Quarterly Economic Survey

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1. Name of organisation and email (optional)

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2. What Chamber of Commerce is your business a member of? (If you are not a Chamber member, where is your business located?)

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3. Or if applicable, please enter the Chamber ID code provided to you by your local Chamber of Commerce:

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4. How many people does your organisation or branch employ?

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5. What is your main business activity?

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6. UK and overseas markets
Excluding seasonal variations, over the past 3 months...

	Increased	Remained Constant	Decreased
UK sales/custom/bookings have...	UK sales/custom/bookings have... Increased	UK sales/custom/bookings have... Remained Constant	UK sales/custom/bookings have... Decreased
UK orders/advance custom/bookings have...	UK orders/advance custom/bookings have... Increased	UK orders/advance custom/bookings have... Remained Constant	UK orders/advance custom/bookings have... Decreased
Overseas sales/custom/bookings have...	Overseas sales/custom/bookings have... Increased	Overseas sales/custom/bookings have... Remained Constant	Overseas sales/custom/bookings have... Decreased
Overseas orders/advance custom/bookings have...	Overseas orders/advance custom/bookings have... Increased	Overseas orders/advance custom/bookings have... Remained Constant	Overseas orders/advance custom/bookings have... Decreased

Please note: only complete the overseas questions if you are an exporter

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7. Labour Force

	Increased	Remained Constant	Decreased
Over the past 3 months, has your workforce...	Over the past 3 months, has your workforce... Increased	Over the past 3 months, has your workforce... Remained Constant	Over the past 3 months, has your workforce... Decreased
Over the next 3 months, do you expect your workforce to...	Over the next 3 months, do you expect your workforce to... Increased	Over the next 3 months, do you expect your workforce to... Remained Constant	Over the next 3 months, do you expect your workforce to... Decreased

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8. Recruitment

	Yes	No
Have you attempted to recruit staff over the past 3 months?	Have you attempted to recruit staff over the past 3 months? Yes	Have you attempted to recruit staff over the past 3 months? No

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9. If yes, were they for:

Part-time jobs

Full-time jobs

Temporary jobs

Permanent jobs

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10. Recruitment difficulties

	Yes	No
Did you experience any difficulties finding suitable staff?	Did you experience any difficulties finding suitable staff? Yes	Did you experience any difficulties finding suitable staff? No

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11. If yes, for which of the following categories of employee:

Skilled manual / technical

Professional / managerial

Clerical

Semi/unskilled

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12. Cash flow and investment

	Increased	Remained Constant	Decreased
Over the past 3 months, cash flow has...	Over the past 3 months, cash flow has... Increased	Over the past 3 months, cash flow has... Remained Constant	Over the past 3 months, cash flow has... Decreased
Over the past 3 months, investment plans for plant/machinery/equipment have...	Over the past 3 months, investment plans for plant/machinery/equipment have... Increased	Over the past 3 months, investment plans for plant/machinery/equipment have... Remained Constant	Over the past 3 months, investment plans for plant/machinery/equipment have... Decreased
Over the past 3 months, investment plans for training have...	Over the past 3 months, investment plans for training have... Increased	Over the past 3 months, investment plans for training have... Remained Constant	Over the past 3 months, investment plans for training have... Decreased

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13. Business Confidence

	Improve	Remain the same	Worsen
Over the next 12 months, do you believe turnover will...	Over the next 12 months, do you believe turnover will... Improve	Over the next 12 months, do you believe turnover will... Remain the same	Over the next 12 months, do you believe turnover will... Worsen
Over the next 12 months, do you believe profitability will...	Over the next 12 months, do you believe profitability will... Improve	Over the next 12 months, do you believe profitability will... Remain the same	Over the next 12 months, do you believe profitability will... Worsen

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14. Capacity

	Full capacity	Below capacity
Are you currently operating at...	Are you currently operating at... Full capacity	Are you currently operating at... Below capacity

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15. Prices/Costs

	Increase	Remain the Same	Decrease
Over the next 3 months, do you expect the price of your good/services to...	Over the next 3 months, do you expect the price of your good/services to... Increase	Over the next 3 months, do you expect the price of your good/services to... Remain the Same	Over the next 3 months, do you expect the price of your good/services to... Decrease

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16. Is your business currently suffering pressures to raise its prices from any of the following sources? (please tick all that apply)

Labour costs (eg salaries, pay settlements, contractors)

Raw materials (eg steel, cardboard, food)

Utilities (eg gas, electricity)

Fuel (eg petrol, diesel)

Finance costs

Other overheads

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17. Please indicate which of these following factors are more of a concern to your business than 3 months ago (please tick all that apply)

Interest rates

Exchange rates

Business rates

Inflation

Competition

Taxation

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18. Feedback

Feel free to include additional feedback (optional)

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19. In the last 12 months, did you recruit any of the following ? (Please tick all that apply)

Experienced/skilled workers

Apprentices (up to level 3)

Higher Apprentices (level 4 and above)

University interns/placements

University graduates

School/college graduates (18 years plus)

16-18 year olds not in training

People returning to work (eg after a career break, parental leave etc.)

paid seasonal contract staff

Volunteers

Other (please specify)

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20. Feel free to share any feedback about your business or economic conditions in the previous three months

Questions 21 - 27 are only for businesses based in West Suffolk. For all other businesses, please scroll to the bottom of the survey and submit your responses.

West Suffolk Council, working with Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, wants to hear from businesses in West Suffolk about their skills and training needs to better tailor what we do to help. Your answers will help us shape our services, the support we give and make sure we are also lobbying Government and other partners on your behalf to grow jobs and the local economy.

If you would like help, advice or a discussion on any of the issues outlined above, please contact West Suffolk Council’s Economic Development team on economic.development@westsuffolk.gov.uk / 01284 757114.

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21. In the last 12 months, did you recruit any of the following? (Please tick all that apply)

Experienced/skilled workers

Apprentices (up to level 3)

Higher apprentices (level 4 and above)

University interns/placements

University graduates

School/college graduates (18 years plus)

16-18 year olds not in training

People returning to work (eg after a career break, parental leave etc.)

Paid seasonal contract staff

Volunteers

Other (please specify)

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22. Are you aware of the New Anglia LEP Apprenticeship Levy Transfer programme?

Yes

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23. Do you employ Apprentices?

Yes

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24. Has the Apprenticeship Levy resulted in you employing Apprentices?

Yes

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25. Do you use Apprenticeships in your business to (please tick boxes):

Recruit new staff (of all ages)

Upskill existing staff

None of the above

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26. If you employ Apprentices, which roles do you use Apprentices or Apprenticeship training for in your business? (Please tick all that apply)

Semi/unskilled

Clerical/administration

Sales/customer service

Skilled manual/technical

Professional/managerial

Don't know

Other (please specify)

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27. If you have recruited Apprentices, do many of them stay with your business after qualifying?

Yes

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28. If 'yes' to question 27, for how long?

Up to six months

Between six months and one year

Over one year

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* 1. Name of organisation and email (optional)

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* 2. What Chamber of Commerce is your business a member of? (If you are not a Chamber member, where is your business located?)

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* 3. Or if applicable, please enter the Chamber ID code provided to you by your local Chamber of Commerce:

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* 4. How many people does your organisation or branch employ?

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* 5. What is your main business activity?

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* 6. UK and overseas markets Excluding seasonal variations, over the past 3 months...

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* 7. Labour Force

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* 8. Recruitment

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* 9. If yes, were they for:

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* 10. Recruitment difficulties

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* 11. If yes, for which of the following categories of employee:

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* 12. Cash flow and investment

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* 13. Business Confidence

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* 14. Capacity

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* 15. Prices/Costs

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* 16. Is your business currently suffering pressures to raise its prices from any of the following sources? (please tick all that apply)

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* 17. Please indicate which of these following factors are more of a concern to your business than 3 months ago (please tick all that apply)

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* 18. Feedback

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* 19. In the last 12 months, did you recruit any of the following ? (Please tick all that apply)

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* 20. Feel free to share any feedback about your business or economic conditions in the previous three months

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* 21. In the last 12 months, did you recruit any of the following? (Please tick all that apply)

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* 22. Are you aware of the New Anglia LEP Apprenticeship Levy Transfer programme?

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* 23. Do you employ Apprentices?

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* 24. Has the Apprenticeship Levy resulted in you employing Apprentices?

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* 25. Do you use Apprenticeships in your business to (please tick boxes):

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* 26. If you employ Apprentices, which roles do you use Apprentices or Apprenticeship training for in your business? (Please tick all that apply)

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* 27. If you have recruited Apprentices, do many of them stay with your business after qualifying?

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* 28. If 'yes' to question 27, for how long?

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* 29. If 'no' to question 27, why not?

1. Name of organisation and email (optional)

2. What Chamber of Commerce is your business a member of? (If you are not a Chamber member, where is your business located?)

3. Or if applicable, please enter the Chamber ID code provided to you by your local Chamber of Commerce:

4. How many people does your organisation or branch employ?

5. What is your main business activity?

6. UK and overseas markets
Excluding seasonal variations, over the past 3 months...

7. Labour Force

8. Recruitment

9. If yes, were they for:

10. Recruitment difficulties

11. If yes, for which of the following categories of employee:

12. Cash flow and investment

13. Business Confidence

14. Capacity

15. Prices/Costs

16. Is your business currently suffering pressures to raise its prices from any of the following sources? (please tick all that apply)

17. Please indicate which of these following factors are more of a concern to your business than 3 months ago (please tick all that apply)

18. Feedback

19. In the last 12 months, did you recruit any of the following ? (Please tick all that apply)

20. Feel free to share any feedback about your business or economic conditions in the previous three months

21. In the last 12 months, did you recruit any of the following? (Please tick all that apply)

22. Are you aware of the New Anglia LEP Apprenticeship Levy Transfer programme?

23. Do you employ Apprentices?

24. Has the Apprenticeship Levy resulted in you employing Apprentices?

25. Do you use Apprenticeships in your business to (please tick boxes):

26. If you employ Apprentices, which roles do you use Apprentices or Apprenticeship training for in your business? (Please tick all that apply)

27. If you have recruited Apprentices, do many of them stay with your business after qualifying?

28. If 'yes' to question 27, for how long?

29. If 'no' to question 27, why not?