BICS weighted Scotland estimates: data to wave 100

Latest main findings for businesses with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland

• in Wave 100, 28.5% of applicable businesses reported difficulties in recruiting employees in December 2023
• the highest rates of recruitment difficulties were reported by businesses in the Arts, entertainment and recreation (39.9%) and Administrative and support services sectors (38.6%)
• in Wave 100, 24.2% of businesses reported that the prices of materials, goods or services bought in December 2023 had increased compared with November 2023
• the industry sector with the highest proportion of businesses reporting increases in the prices of materials, goods and services bought was Accommodation & Food Services (39.5%).
• in Wave 100, 30.5% of businesses reported that their turnover had decreased in December 2023 compared to the previous calendar month - rising to 43.8% of businesses in the Manufacturing sector
• overall, an estimated 20.5% of businesses reported that their turnover had increased in December 2023 compared to the previous calendar month
• in Wave 100, 39.3% of businesses thought their performance would increase over the next 12 months. 7.3% expected performance to decrease
• the main concerns for businesses for February 2024 were falling demand of goods and services prices (16.6%), energy prices (13.1%) and inflation (10.5%). An estimated 17.0% of businesses reported having no concerns