Economic confidence in Ireland fell slightly in the last quarter of 2017 but remains high by recent standards as fears of a hard Brexit reduced, according to a global survey of accountants.
According to the latest Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS), produced by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and IMA (the Institute of Management Accountants), an improving economic outlook and increased prospects of a Brexit transition deal have helped maintain relatively high levels of confidence.
Liz Hughes, Head of ACCA Ireland says,
‘The higher levels of confidence reflect signs that the economy is heading in the right direction: growth is up, unemployment is falling and the property sector is starting to recover.
‘Confidence was also helped by signs that a Brexit transition deal looked more likely back in December. Yet the potential effects of a ‘no deal’ for the Irish economy means that instability will weigh on business sentiment until details are confirmed.’
Global economic confidence remained relatively high at the end of 2017 despite a slight dip from the previous quarter, with an improved economic outlook in the US and South Asia off-setting a more cautious mood in China.
Nanayanan Vaidynathan, Head of Business Insights at ACCA, says,
‘Despite a small dip, the relatively high level of confidence reflects a stronger economic outlook in the US and India.
‘The overall outlook for 2018 is a promising one in terms of global economic growth and confidence. Some of the signs of a global economic recovery in 2017 look set to continue, with improvements for developed and emerging markets.
‘While growth is expected to slow in China as the government focuses on risk management, this should be compensated by gains elsewhere.’
Fieldwork for the Q4 2017 GECS took place between 24 November and 11 December 2017 and attracted 4,011 responses from ACCA and IMA members around the world, including more than 250 CFOs.
You can read the report here: http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/professional-insights/global-economics/global-economic-conditions-survey–q4–2017.html