SMEs worry over Irish economic recovery

SME confidence took a knock during the first quarter of the year, as firms have become concerned about the length of time the economy is taking to recover, a survey shows.

As of the end of March, 39% of SMEs said their business confidence was high; as opposed to 50% at the same period last year.

The percentage of firms with high expectations has gone from 65% to 57%. Overall, 11 of the 12 key indicators in the latest quarterly business trends survey, from small firms lobby group, Isme show annualised reductions.