Understanding Business – March 2026
Published
We are delighted to announce the publication of findings from the latest wave of Understanding Business, our quarterly survey of business leaders in collaboration with Charlotte Street Partners. The results from this research highlight the political and economic uncertainty felt by businesses across Scotland. Key findings include:
- A clear increase in pessimism over the state of the economy, with over half of businesses (53%) now expecting a deterioration of general economic conditions over the next twelve months. This represents a seven percentage point increase in the proportion anticipating economic erosion since the December wave of this research.
- More than four in ten businesses (42%) would not hire any of the leaders of Scottish political parties, highlighting the political disaffection felt across Scotland. Just a quarter (24%) of businesses would hire John Swinney, while fewer than one in ten would hire each of the remaining party leaders.
- Nearly two-thirds of businesses (62%) anticipate raising prices over the next quarter – businesses who are likely to raise costs most frequently cite the rising cost of utilities and fuel as key drivers of these price increases.
- Just over half of businesses (55%) support the proposed World Cup bank holiday in June – around half (49%) say that it would benefit national morale and four in ten (38%) highlight the impact it could have on hospitality and tourism.
You can read the whole report here: Understanding Business, Wave 12-March 2026