Jobs creation and business activity up in South West England during 2021’s third quarter

[Liz Seyi]

In news that will be of interest to many of those seeking out or using the services of a chartered tax adviser in Devon or Somerset, a report has revealed that the South West England economy has continued to strengthen amid the ongoing recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
While the COVID-19 crisis throughout the South West is by no means over, it will nonetheless hearten great numbers of local business leaders to read that more jobs are also being created across the region. These positive effects are being attributed to a combination of increased regional tourism and the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.
However, some of the findings of the report – the latest NatWest South West PMI – were of greater concern to the region’s business community. Troubling factors included materials being in short supply, troubles with finding enough suitable workers, higher transport fees, and climbing fuel bills, all of which quickly drove up companies’ costs during the third quarter of 2021.

A softer, but still solid growth period for the region’s firms
The NatWest report showed that midway through the third quarter, private-sector businesses around the South West were seeing a notably softer, but still sturdy recovery in commercial activity.
While the initial easing of COVID-19 restrictions in England prompted record boosts to output and sales, there are signs that recovery momentum has since slowed. However, business confidence was still at its highest for six months, and was accompanied by a record increase in employment.
The bank’s seasonally adjusted index measuring the month-by-month change in the combined output of the manufacturing and service industries in the region – the Natwest South West Business Activity Index – was 54.7 in August. This compares to July’s 62.2 figure.
Nonetheless, these trends – of sustained, but slower rates of business expansion – broadly mirror those seen recently across the wider UK.
Paul Edwards, chair of the Natwest South West Regional Board, commented: “The South West economy continued to post strong growth in August, despite overall output expanding at the softest rate in five months as initial boosts to activity from COVID-19 measures easing faded.”

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