IMF upgrades forecast for struggling economy
The IMF has just announced that it now expects the UK economy to avoid falling into recession in 2023 and will instead grow by approximately 0.4%. This is a marked increase from the previous month when their prediction was notably worse, with a contraction of 0.3% on the cards.
The BBC reports that the longer-term forecast predicts sluggish growth over the next few years and the government will need to do all it can in order to address the issue of record numbers of people not working, many for health and post-covid related issues. This, along with the rising cost of wages is proving to be a challenge for businesses across the country. Effectively, the availability of skilled labour is relatively low due to long term absence, whilst the cost of employing staff has risen significantly in recent months.
All of these factors mean that businesses are finding it harder to get value for money in the labour market and even when they do, they are still finding their costs rising.
Are you considering implementing a chat function onto your website but are worried about the additional cost of manning it with full time staff? Here at Live Web Chat we can help take some of that burden away by answering chats on your behalf with our fully trained agents, increasing customer engagement without the cost of additional staff.
No long contracts mean you’re not financially tied in either so you can spend that money on where the business really needs it.
Contact us today to find out more about how Live Web Chat can help you convert website visitors into paying clients. You can find out more about what we offer on our website, or by calling us on 01273 741113.