UK firms see sharper 2021 rebound than peers

Bouncing back: An employee works at the Vauxhall plant in Luton, UK. After the shock to the sector last year, manufacturers are now beginning to move through the gears and accelerate into recovery as demand at home increases and major markets also begin to pick up. ─ Bloomberg

LONDON: British businesses are more likely to expect a rebound in activity this year than their counterparts abroad, and expectations of a pick-up in growth are stronger than at any point since 2015, a survey showed yesterday.

The global poll of 12,000 manufacturers and service providers, conducted three times a year for consultants Accenture by data company IHS Markit, showed 68% of British firms expect activity to rise, while 11% see a fall.