Optimizing Talent Acquisition for UK Business Market

Trading companies were asked how their turnover in January 2026 compared with December 2025, leaving out any seasonal trading. Data are outlined in the middle of the duration of each wave. Almost a third (31%) of trading companies reported that their turnover had actually reduced in January 2026 compared with the previous month.

The motions are broadly in line with those observed around this time in previous years, with peaks in December followed by little falls in January. The markets with the greatest proportion reporting that turnover reduced in January 2026 were: the accommodation and food service activities market (52%, which is a 21 portion point increase from December 2025) the other services market (45%) the arts, entertainment and recreation market (40%) Around 16% of trading organizations reported that their turnover increased in January 2026, which was a 3 percentage point boost compared to December 2025.

For trading services with 10 or more workers, 33% reported that their turnover had decreased, which was broadly steady compared with December and January 2025. More than one in five (23%) businesses reported that their turnover had actually increased, up 2 portion points compared to December 2025. Normally, the proportion of organizations reporting that their turnover increased correlated to the size of the business.

The exception to this was the proportion for services with 250 or more employees, which was 25%, and 5 portion points lower than December 2025 (30%). Trading services were asked how they anticipate their turnover to alter in the coming month. This can then be used to forecast how business's turnover will in fact change when that calendar month concludes.

Transforming Talent Acquisition for the 2026 Corporate Market

Patterns between expected turnover and real turnover have broadly moved in the very same instructions, the motions for expectations tend to be larger. Caution must be taken when interpreting expectations questions, as the employees reacting on behalf of organizations might not have full oversight of all of their company's future expectations.

ANSR July UK PRs

More than one in five (21%) trading services anticipate their turnover to increase in March 2026. This is a 6 portion point rise from February 2026 but was broadly stable compared to expectations for March 2025 (22%). The proportion of trading businesses expecting a boost in January 2026 was 13%, while the proportion that reported an actual increase in turnover in January 2026 was 16%, recommending a slight pessimism in services expectations.

The trends have actually broadly followed each other given that the concerns were introduced in April 2022. The outcomes for March 2026 follow the pattern from previous years, with the portion of businesses expecting turnover to increase peaking after a decline in January. Bigger services were more likely to anticipate a boost in turnover in March, with the percentage ranging from 20% for businesses with 0 to 9 staff members, to 42% for businesses with 100 to 249 workers.

For presentational functions, some action alternatives have been removed. Information are plotted in the middle of the duration of each wave.

Analyzing Global Trade Reports for UK Industry

The proportion of trading businesses that anticipated a decrease in January 2026 was 25%, while the proportion that reported an actual decrease in turnover in January 2026 was 31%. The percentage of organizations expecting turnover to decrease for a particular month ahead of time has stayed substantially lower than the percentage of services reporting a real decline in that month given that April 2022.

Expectations for turnover to decrease have regularly followed the same trend, as actual reported turnover reduces throughout this time. Trading businesses were asked what difficulties, if any, were impacting their turnover in early February 2026. Around 3 in 10 (30%) trading companies reported that financial unpredictability was having an effect on their turnover, which was broadly steady with early January 2026.

For trading businesses with 10 or more employees, expense of labour was the most frequently reported challenge, at 36%. Services with 10 to 49 workers were more likely to report expense of labour as a challenge than organizations with 250 or more workers (37%, compared with 20%). One in five (20%) trading services with 10 or more staff members suggested that they were not currently experiencing any turnover challenges in early February 2026.