END IS HIGH SAY BOSSES

Firms say 2017 ended on a high but they fear tougher times ahead. They are among the findings of a survey by business group the CBI, which quizzed 642 companies across the distribution, manufacturing and service sectors.

The number reporting a pick-up in trade jumped in the final three months.

But output is predicted to slow over the next quarter.

A separate poll found that most managers are struggling to recruit skilled workers and are expecting a “tough” 2018 amid continued uncertainty about Brexit.

The survey of more than 1,000 managers by the Chartered Management Institute found that fewer than one in three expected the economy to grow in the coming year.