UNCERTAINTY is continuing to have an impact on confidence in the region as businesses plan for 2020.

Overall confidence for firms in Yorkshire & the Humber fell seven points in the past month to -2 per cent, according to Lloyds Bank’s business barometer for November.

The barometer questions 1,200 businesses monthly and provides early signals about UK economic trends regionally and nationwide.

Firms’ confidence in their own business prospects was three per cent compared with six per cent in October. When taken alongside their views of the economy overall, this gives an overall confidence of -2 per cent.

Businesses’ hiring intentions show that a net balance of five per cent of businesses in the region expect to decrease staffing levels during the next year, down one point on last month.

Across the UK, overall confidence rose three points to nine per cent as firms’ optimism about the economy rose 10 points to seven per cent, although their confidence in their own prospects dropped three points to 12 per cent.

Kelly Green, regional director for Yorkshire & the Humber at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Uncertainty continues to weigh on the shoulders of Yorkshire’s firms planning for the year ahead. However, there are reasons to be cheerful in the county this month.

“As we look forward to a new year and decade, we’ll continue to be by the side of businesses across Yorkshire as they expand alongside the county’s burgeoning advanced manufacturing sector.”

Across the region, a net balance of 8% of businesses said they felt that the UK’s exit from the European Union was having a negative impact on their expectations for business activity, down four points on a month ago.