Shropshire Chamber of Commerce has launched its latest quarterly economic survey to gain a snapshot of the mood among local employers.

The survey, which feeds into national policy-makers, quizzes business owners on a wide range of topics including sales forecasts, international trade, recruitment, training, cashflow, and confidence levels.

It is open to any business of any size in Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin. Companies do not need to be a member of Shropshire Chamber to take part.

All submissions are anonymous, to allow businesses to speak honestly and frankly.

Shropshire’s results are fed into the national survey by the British Chambers of Commerce, which is used by the Bank of England and other relevant bodies and economists.

The previous quarterly survey painted a picture of a relatively subdued local economy as firms adjusted to what many described as a “new normal” trading environment.

Employers reported growing nervousness around recruitment due to rising staffing costs and increasing legal obligations - and those who are hiring said the soft skills of applicants often fell short of workplace needs.

Destabilisation caused by the wars in Iran and Ukraine, combined with tax and National Insurance rises, and fears over rising inflation, are also cited as worries by many.

Ruth Ross, Shropshire Chamber’s chief executive, said: “It’s really important for us that as many businesses as possible take time to fill in this survey.

“Every single business voice matters. The greater the voice, the more accurate a picture we can paint – and the greater the influence we can have to support the businesses of Shropshire.

“Change happens… but only after a robust case is made. And if we do not properly understand your business pressures or needs, then we cannot push for a better deal for the Shropshire economy.”

She added: “This is part of the largest and most respected quarterly business intelligence survey in the country, and the BCC asks us to gather business sentiment in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to feed this into the data.

“The results are used by multiple Government departments, as well as the Bank of England, to understand the business climate. We want it to paint as accurate a picture as possible of the local economy.”