BICS weighted Scotland estimates: data to wave 64

This is the 49th publication of weighted Scotland estimates from the ONS’ BICS. These are experimental statistics, which means that they are still in development but have been released to enable their use at an early stage. All results are provisional and subject to revision.

Latest main findings for businesses with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland

• in the period 22 August to 4 September 2022 (Wave 64), 44.5% of businesses reported experiencing a shortage of workers - rising to 55.5% in the Accommodation & Food Services sector, and 47.7% in the Transport & Storage sector
• in Wave 64, 63.0% of businesses reported that the shortage of workers has resulted in employees working increased hours, and 33.7% of businesses reported that they have been unable to meet demands due to a shortage of workers
• in Wave 64, the main concerns for businesses for October 2022 were inflation of goods and services prices (32.7%) and energy prices (25.8%)
• in Wave 64, around half (49.9%) of applicable businesses reported that their gas prices are fixed or hedged, with 55.9% of applicable businesses reported that their electricity costs are fixed or hedged
• in Wave 64, the most common ways that businesses reported improving their management practices were consulting employees about potential improvements (43.5%)