Half of UK firms fear a jobs blow from this week's Budget, and seven in ten report a cautious or anxious mood, according to DJH's Autumn Budget Business Confidence Report. The poll of companies across the UK found a third have put investment or hiring on hold as uncertainty drags on.

What bosses are worried about

Rising employment costs top the list of fears, alongside global conflicts, rising energy costs at home and talk of further tax increases. Capital gains tax rises were a major concern for 31 percent of respondents. DJH chief executive Scott Heath said owners "have every right to be cautious" and that "when one third of businesses put investment or hiring on hold, the effect is felt well beyond their own balance sheets."

Heath added that for many firms, the most valuable thing the Budget can offer "is not a particular measure but clarity, and the stability that a good number asked for in their own words."

What the Treasury says

The Treasury said: "We are on the side of businesses. The Chancellor is giving the high street more breathing space, cutting business rates by 20% for pubs, social clubs and live music venues. This is alongside 4.3 billion pounds to limit bill rises, funded by a higher tax rate for big online warehouses, and capping corporation tax."

Healey delivers his first Budget on Wednesday 28 October, the first under Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government. The government has pledged to hold the main rates of income tax, employee National Insurance and VAT, and to keep corporation tax capped at 25 percent, while VAT on household electricity has already dropped to zero percent from 1 October 2026 until 31 March 2027.

Sources: BritBrief, Simply Business