Businesses in the services sector such as shops and restaurants are experiencing a slowdown in sales while manufacturers are struggling to hire staff, the British Chambers of Commerce has warned. In its quarterly economic survey, published today, the BCC said growth was stagnating and business confidence falling because of continued anxieties over Brexit. It found that the balance of companies in the services sector, which reported a rise in domestic sales and orders, fell to a two-year low, from 22 per cent and 17 per cent to 18 per cent and 14 per cent. Among manufacturers, domestic sales and orders fell from 24 per cent and 20 per cent to 21 per cent and 16 per cent. However, exports fared better with the balance of…

Source: The Times January 03, 2019 00:02 UTC