Optimism at a high

Businesses are taking on more people and optimism is at its highest level since 1998, according to the business lobby group, the CBI.

Its survey of 151 businesses said consumer and professional services were increasingly happy about the economic situation.

However, businesses were finding it hard to find staff with the right skills, the CBI said.

Skills gaps could constrain business growth over the coming year, it added.

Firms in the services sectors are taking on staff and increasing spending on training and technology.

Consumer services – including hotels, bars, restaurants, travel and leisure firms – saw levels of business that were “comfortably above normal”.

Professional services – including accountancy, legal and marketing firms – told the CBI their business levels were above normal for the first time since November 2007.