UK business morale falls to 2024 low but pay growth strong, surveys show

British business confidence fell to its lowest level of 2024 in December but employers were a bit more optimistic about the wider economy, according to a survey published on Monday, while separate data showed a pre-Christmas rise in hiring and pay. The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer measure of confidence among companies fell by 2 points to 39%, still above its long-run average of 29%. Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said the fall extended a drift down since the summer.Read More