The Jersey Business Tendency Survey (BTS) is a quarterly survey that provides qualitative information about the Island’s economy in a timely manner.

The survey covers private sector businesses in Jersey. The survey asks the chief executive or managing director of sampled businesses for their opinions on the current situation of their business compared to three months earlier and their expectations for the next three months.

The headline all-sector business activity indicator was +5 percentage points (pp). This implies that more companies reported an increase in business activity as opposed to a decrease. This indicator was down significantly from the strong positive levels seen during the previous six months.

For the finance sector:

• six of the ten indicators were down on the previous quarter
• the business activity, new business, profitability and business optimism indicators recorded their lowest levels for at least two years
• the input costs and employment indicators were improved on the previous quarter

For the non-finance sectors, overall:

• eight indicators were unchanged and two (input costs and employment) improved slightly
• the business activity indicator for the non-finance sectors, overall, was more positive than
  that for the finance sector for the first time in at least six years