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Economy

Expert analysis on the latest national and international economic issues and trends, and interviews with prominent voices across the finance industry, alongside data on the state of the economy.

Autumn Statement 2023
Business Confidence Monitor

ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor

  • Hub page
  • 16 Oct 2023
Quarterly reports on the economy which provide useful insight for finance professionals and their clients.
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ICAEW member insights: October 2023

  • Article
  • 27 Oct 2023
Business confidence reduced in Q3 due to economic challenges, regulation and construction delays. Interest rates and finance issues were also causes for concern raised by members.
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Chart of the week: Criminal justice

  • Article
  • 03 Nov 2023
Our chart this week looks at how the criminal justice system in England and Wales is performing by examining how long cases are taking to make their way through the Crown Courts to completion.
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Economic update October 2023: where next for interest rates?

  • Newsletter
  • 03 Oct 2023
The UK economy suffered a setback as the boost from a surprise fall in inflation was surpassed by falling GDP and a weakening jobs market.
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Access to finance: supporting small businesses

Autumn Statement 2023

  • Hub page
  • 06 Nov 2023
On 22 November 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered the Autumn Statement. Read ICAEW's analysis and reaction.
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London Westminster

Content series: Resilience and Renewal

Gas works tower in front of a blue sky 17 Oct 2023
The UK’s skills gap and what’s gone wrong

For a generation, a shortage of skills has undermined business confidence, investment, and productivity across the UK, and so limited economic growth and left us more exposed to inflation shocks. Here, we look at what’s causing this shortage and, in the next article, ideas for addressing it.

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Workers in blue overalls in a factory 17 Oct 2023
How to close the UK’s skills gap

Addressing the UK’s labour supply and skills gap is no easy task, but policymakers, business, and the chartered accountants that advise them have a key role to play.

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Amdaris tech firm Bristol finance director Tom Denning 17 Oct 2023
Closing the UK’s skills gap: Denim, data and developing skills

Having the right people available for the right jobs in the right place is one of the key foundations of a healthy and resilient economy, and one that’s often eluded the UK. Two companies provide lessons for how we can start to address this.

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Three people sitting in an office, one speaking and the other two looking at them 17 Oct 2023
Employee engagement and productivity: How Cooper Parry’s investment in staff training and well-being is paying dividends

Accountancy firm and ICAEW member Cooper Parry has long taken an innovative approach to staff well-being and happiness. But in the post-pandemic world, things like flexible and remote working no longer made it stand out, so it’s updating its employee offer.

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Red cranes in front of a skyscraper 26 SEP 2023
Part one: Understanding the UK’s productivity problem

Poor productivity has upset many UK economic success stories across the past half century. There’s no smoking gun or obvious culprit but rather a number of complex reasons.

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The reflection of a cityscape at sunset in the windows of a skyscraper 26 SEP 2023
Part two: Tackling the UK’s productivity problem

The UK’s persistently poor productivity must be tackled to renew economic growth and raise living standards. Businesses and accountants have a core role in that endeavour.

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Charles Platts ACA, Paragraf CFO Graphene-based electronic devices manufacturer man lab coat 26 SEP 2023
Starting a new chapter: Paragraf’s concerns over scaling up

The Cambridgeshire-based tech firm should be in the vanguard of UK economic success, but getting to a scale that will make a real difference to the economy is harder than it should be.

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Jenny McMillan ACA Head of Finance Northern Block ICAEW member 26 SEP 2023
A recipe for growth: Investing for a more productive economy

Long-term investment to build profitable businesses is a crucial part of boosting productivity. A thriving food and drink sector in Leeds is showing the way forward.

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