BICS weighted Scotland estimates: data to wave 106

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

• in Wave 106, 25.0% of applicable businesses reported difficulties in recruiting employees in March 2024
• in Wave 106, the highest rates of recruitment difficulties were reported by businesses in the Construction (36.7%) and Manufacturing (34.3%) sectors
• in Wave 106, 23.6% of businesses reported that the prices of materials, goods or services bought in March 2024 had increased compared with February 2024
• in Wave 106, the industry sector with the highest proportion of businesses reporting increases in the prices of materials, goods and services bought was Accommodation & Food Services (38.9%)
• in Wave 106, 31.8% of businesses reported that their turnover had increased in March 2024 compared to the previous calendar month - rising to 48.4% of businesses in the Information and communication sector
• overall, an estimated 16.5% of businesses reported that their turnover had decreased in March 2024 compared to the previous calendar month
• in Wave 106, 34.2% of businesses thought their performance would increase over the next 12 months. 8.5% expected performance to decrease
• the main concerns for businesses for May 2024 were falling demand of goods and services (18.1%) and inflation (13.6%). An estimated 16.9% of businesses reported having no concerns