Manchester Index™ points to strong finish in 2014

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Economist, Dr John Ashcroft

Early indications from the latest Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), point to a strong finish in the final quarter of the year.

The Manchester Index™, which is derived from the QES results and is an early indicator of trends in both the Manchester and UK economy index, improved from 32.0 in Q3 to 36.7 in the survey data for the fourth quarter this year.

Commenting on the latest data, John Ashcroft, Chief Economist at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is ahead of our September projections for growth of around 3% suggesting the economy may improve by as much as 3.2% in the year as whole, with growth continuing into 2015.

“A strong recovery in the export outlook for orders and deliveries in the manufacturing sector boosted confidence in both turnover and profits. This pushed the index to an all-time high in the final reading of the year.”

A full set of results from the Q4 Quarterly Economic Survey will be presented on 23rd January at the Chamber’s new premises in Elliot House, Deansgate, Manchester.