Business activity in the South West has reached the highest level in almost a year, as cost pressures continued to ease on firms, according to a new NatWest report.
The bank’s South West PMI Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors - signalled a third successive monthly expansion of output across the region.
NatWest said the upturn was supported by the quickest increase in new work for nearly a year, which prompted firms to expand their staffing levels “at a solid pace”.
