Review of Scottish business surveys [June 2014]

The business surveys reviewed in this section provide a barometer for the Scottish economy and outlined below is an overview of key recent evidence. These 2014 Q1 surveys suggest that the recovery evident from recent previous surveys has been cemented with growth across all main sectors gathering pace. Since the start of 2014 businesses in Scotland have maintained the positive confidence levels evident from previous surveys. Key benchmarks are stronger than their long-term averages with many now higher than their pre-recession levels. Respondents to many of the surveys, on balance, reported strong performances of the key indicators and also continued to be positive about the prospects for the rest of 2014. However, some warn that the recovery still remains fragile and may be at risk from domestic and foreign uncertainties.