Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 18 April 2022 to 1 May 2022

These questions are for Wave 55 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 19 April 2022. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Which of the following statements best describes your business's trading status?

• Currently fully trading
• Currently partially trading
• Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks
• Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks
• Permanently ceased trading

How did your business's turnover in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Turnover increased
• Turnover stayed the same
• Turnover decreased
• Not sure

Which of the following challenges, if any, are currently impacting your business's turnover?

• Competition
• Cost of labour
• Cost of materials
• Economic uncertainty
• Financial costs
• Insufficient domestic demand
• Insufficient international demand
• Lack of equipment
• Shortage of labour
• Shortage of materials
• Weather conditions
• Other
• Not sure
• Not currently experiencing any challenges

What are your business's expectations for turnover in April 2022?

• Expect turnover to increase
• Expect turnover to stay the same
• Expect turnover to decrease
• Not sure

How did the prices of goods or services bought by your business in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Prices increased
• Prices stayed the same
• Prices decreased
• Not sure
• Not applicable

How did the prices of goods or services sold by your business in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Prices increased
• Prices stayed the same
• Prices decreased
• Not sure
• Not applicable

What are your business's expectations for the prices of goods or services sold in April 2022?

• Prices will increase
• Prices will stay the same
• Prices will decrease
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Which of the following factors, if any, are causing your business to consider raising prices in April 2022?

• Energy prices
• Finance costs
• Labour costs
• Raw material prices
• Other
• Not sure
• Business is not considering raising prices

How did your business's domestic demand for goods and services in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Demand increased
• Demand stayed the same
• Demand decreased
• Not sure
• Not applicable

How did your business's international demand for goods and services in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Demand increased
• Demand stayed the same
• Demand decreased
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Has your business been affected by recent increases in energy prices?

• Yes, production has been affected
• Yes, suppliers have been affected
• Yes, both production and suppliers have been affected
• No, my business has not been affected
• Not sure
• Not applicable

In which of the following ways, if any, has your business been affected by price rises?

• Discontinued lines of sale
• Had to absorb costs
• Had to change suppliers
• Had to make redundancies
• Had to pass on price increases to customers
• Had to reduce staff work hours
• Unable to maintain workspaces
• Other
• Not sure
• My business has not been affected by price rises

How did your business's stock levels of raw materials in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Stock levels were higher
• Stock levels stayed the same
• Stock levels were lower
• Not sure
• Not applicable

How did your business's stock levels of finished goods in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Stock levels were higher
• Stock levels stayed the same
• Stock levels were lower
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Is your business stockpiling any goods or materials?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

What are your business's expectations for capital expenditure over the next three months?

• Capital expenditure will increase
• Capital expenditure will stay the same
• Capital expenditure will decrease
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Why is your business expecting to authorise capital expenditure in April 2022?

• For replacements
• To expand capacity
• To increase efficiency
• To provide new services
• To reach new customers
• To use new technology
• Other
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Which of the following, if any, do you expect to limit your business's capital expenditure in April 2022?

• Inability to raise external finance
• Inadequate return on proposed investment
• Shortage of internal finance
• Shortage of labour
• Uncertainty about demand or business prospects
• Other
• Not sure
• Not expecting any limits to capital expenditure

Did your business scrap any capital assets earlier than intended in March 2022?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Please explain in more detail what type of assets your business scrapped early and why

• Comments

In March 2022, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were:

• Using a hybrid model of working
• Working from home
• Working from a designated workspace
• On sick leave, or not working due to coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, self-isolation or quarantine
• Made permanently redundant
• Other

How did the number of employees at your business in March 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Number of employees increased
• Number of employees stayed the same
• Number of employees decreased
• Not sure

What are your business's expectations for the number of employees in April 2022?

• Number of employees will increase
• Number of employees will stay the same
• Number of employees will decrease
• Not sure

How has your business's staffing costs changed over the last three months?

• Costs have increased
• Costs have stayed the same
• Costs have decreased
• Not sure
• Not applicable

How does your business expect staffing costs to change over the next three months?

• Costs will increase
• Costs will stay the same
• Costs will decrease
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Did your business experience any difficulties recruiting employees in March 2022?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Which of the following employees has your business had difficulties in recruiting?

• Clerical employees
• Professional or managerial employees
• Semi-skilled or unskilled employees
• Skilled, manual or technical employees
• Other
• Not sure

Why did your business experience difficulties in recruiting employees?

• Business cannot offer an attractive pay package to applicants
• Increased number of vacancies
• Lack of qualified applicants for the roles on offer
• Low number of applications for the roles on offer
• Reduced number of applicants aged 16 to 24 years
• Reduced number of applicants aged over 50 years
• Reduced number of EU applicants
• Other
• Not sure

How long do you expect your business's cash reserves will last?

• Less than 1 month
• 1 to 3 months
• 4 to 6 months
• More than 6 months
• Not sure
• Business has no cash reserves

How would you describe your business's overall performance in March 2022, compared with this calendar month last year?

• Performance increased
• Performance stayed the same
• Performance decreased
• Not sure

How do you expect your business's overall performance to change over the next 12 months?

• Performance will increase
• Performance will stay the same
• Performance will decrease
• Not sure

Which of the following occupational groups best represents your position at your business?

• Administrative and secretarial occupations
• Associate professional and technical occupations
• Directors and chief executives
• Managers and senior officials
• Professional occupations
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Please tell us anything else about your business's current situation relating to topics covered in this survey

• Comments