Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 5 to 19 September 2022

These questions are for Wave 65 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on the 5th of September 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 August 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Turnover increased

• Turnover stayed the same

• Turnover decreased

• Not sure

What are your business's expectations for turnover in October 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 August 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 August 2022 compare with the previous calendar month?

• Prices increased

• Prices stayed the same

• Prices decreased

• Not sure

• Not applicable

On average, how much did the prices of goods or services sold by your business increase in August 2022, compared with the previous calendar month?

• Less than 5%

• Between 5-10%

• Between 11-15%

• Between 16-20%

• More than 20%

• Not sure

What are your business's expectations for the prices of goods or services sold in October 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 October 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 August 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 August 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, the 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 access more financial support

• 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

• The business has not been affected by price rises

How did your business's stock levels of raw materials in August 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 August 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

In August 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 or self-isolation

• Made permanently redundant

• Other

How did the number of employees at your business in August 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 October 2022?

• Number of employees will increase

• Number of employees will stay the same

• Number of employees will decrease

• Not sure

Is your business intending to permanently close any business sites in the next three months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Where in the UK are the sites that will permanently close in the next three months?

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales

• East of England

• East Midlands

• Greater London

• North East of England

• North West of England

• South East of England

• South West of England

• West Midlands

• Yorkshire and The Humber

• Not sure

How do you expect closing these sites to affect your workforce?

• Decreased hours

• Increased hours

• Move to remote working

• Permanent redundancies

• Relocation

• Other

• Not sure

• Workforce will not be affected

Does your business expect to make any of your workforce redundant over the next three months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

When do you expect these redundancies to happen?

• Within the next 2 weeks

• Between 2 weeks and 1 month

• Between 1 and 3 months

• Not sure

Why is your business making these redundancies?

• Automation

• Business is closing or insolvent

• Certain job roles are no longer required

• Change in management

• Relocation of the business

• Site closures

• To reduce staff costs

• Other

• Not sure

• Prefer not to say

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

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

On average, how did employees' hourly wages in August 2022 compare with employees' hourly wages in the previous calendar month?

• Wages increased

• Wages stayed the same

• Wages decreased

• Not sure

Was your business affected by industrial action in August 2022?

• Yes, the business was affected

• No, the business was not affected

• Not sure

• Not applicable

• Prefer not to say

How was your business affected by industrial action in August 2022?

• Business was unable to obtain necessary goods

• Business was unable to obtain necessary services

• Business was unable to operate fully

• Part or all of the workforce were directly involved in industrial action

• Workforce had to change their working location

• Workforce were unable to perform their roles

• Other

• Not sure

How would you describe your business's overall performance in August 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

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

• Comments