Agents' Summary of Business Conditions - March 2006

• Consumer spending growth fell back following the pickup over Christmas and the New Year.
• Housing market activity grew steadily.
• Domestic manufacturing sales were broadly unchanged; export sales rose.
• Investment intentions eased a little; overall companies expected modest increases in investment spending.
• Construction output growth was steady.
• Business services growth remained strong.
• There was little change in employment or intentions, and recruitment difficulties were generally low.
• Capacity pressures were subdued.
• So far, there has been little sign of increased wage pressure from the ongoing pay round.
• Rising energy costs boosted input price inflation; output price inflation also picked up.
• Consumer price inflation was broadly unchanged.

Agents' summary of business conditions - March 2006

• Agents' scores (xlsx)
• Definitions of the Agents' national scores (pdf)
• Response to consultation on changes to Agents' scores