Economic confidence among business leaders hits fourth lowest reading in a decade

Institute of Directors index

Business leaders’ optimism in the UK economy slightly improved in December, with the Institute of Directors’ Economic Confidence index creeping up to -61 from -65 the previous month.

Despite the small uplift, the IoD noted the figure still marked the fourth lowest reading of the index since its inception in July 2016. Leaders' confidence in their respective organisations improved significantly, however, from -7 in November to +8 last month, although it was still the second lowest reading since June 2020. Several other indicators improved in December, including investment intentions, which rose from -20 to 0 and revenue expectations from +4 to +19. Retail footfall slumps 2.2% in December despite Black Friday and Christmas combo According to the institute, bus...