Article:

BDO Optimism Index Q3 2019

23 December 2019

BDO is pleased to share the findings from our latest quarterly optimism index. The index is a countinous survey conducted via telephone amongst a sample of business owners / managers countrywide.

This quarter’s findings have made it evident that business confidence in Ireland continues to be challenging - on the positive side, quarterly levels of forward looking optimism have taken a welcome bounce, albeit small, however, optimism levels for the final quarter of the year are back at 2013 levels.
 
There is still a considerable level of concern around Brexit and the implications it will have for Irish business - with two thirds saying it will have a very negative impact, a trend that has continued since the summer of 2019.
 
Employment levels remain stable with 90% of all businesses expecting their employment levels to remain the same, with Dublin showing stronger projected employment than businesses outside Dublin. Businesses are also reporting a decrease in higher levels of current business activity by 8% from the same quater last year - a trend that has continued since 2015.

Click DOWNLOAD to view our full index, including projections for Q4.