London, N. East lead UK business growth in Nov. ’24

London and the North East were the top performers in UK business activity for November, according to data released by the NatWest UK Regional Growth Tracker on Tuesday. Despite a general slowdown across other UK regions, these areas showed remarkable resilience.

The report highlighted strong business activity growth in London and the North East, while other regions experienced mixed performances. Cost pressures generally increased across the board.

Northern Ireland, previously the strongest performer, saw a significant decline, posting its weakest expansion since January.

Half of the 12 monitored regions experienced a fall in output, with the steepest declines in Wales and the North West.

Sebastian Burnside, NatWest Chief Economist, mentioned that firms across the UK forecast growth in business activity over the next 12 months, although there is a general pattern of reduced optimism linked to anticipated rises in employment costs.

Attribution: NatWest

Subediting: Y.Yasser