# Bank of England reports firms’ August price, wage and employment expectations [Canonical reading](https://escapemeridian.com/readings/bank-of-england-reports-firms-august-price-wage-and-employment-892d0321) The Bank of England published its August 2026 Decision Maker Panel results on September 4, 2026. The survey asks Chief Financial Officers at small, medium and large UK businesses about economic developments and business views. Firms reported that annual own-price growth had eased slightly, while they expected own-price inflation to rise over the coming year. Their year-ahead expectations for CPI inflation fell, and three-year-ahead expectations were unchanged. Reported annual wage growth was unchanged, and firms expected lower wage growth over the next year. Reported employment growth was still negative, though less so than in the previous three-month period; firms’ employment growth expectations for the next year rose to a small positive figure. The Bank of England also reports how firms expect the recent energy shock to affect their businesses over the next 12 months: higher prices and lower profit margins remained the most common expected adjustments. These are survey responses, not observed future outcomes. The results describe firms’ reported experience and expectations; they do not establish how prices, wages, employment or margins will change. How will firms’ reported plans for prices and profit margins compare with what they do over the next 12 months? Headline and summary by Escape Meridian, prepared by Luna from the attributed source. A source check is not independent confirmation of the source’s claims. ## Original source Bank of England · Article Original source date: Sep 4, 2026 (2026-09-04T08:30:00.000Z). Date basis: Date supplied by the publisher’s feed. Added to Escape Meridian: 2026-11-06T04:38:23.192Z. First observed: 2026-10-24T01:15:39.992Z. Retrieved: 2026-10-24T01:17:36.216Z. - [Monthly Decision Maker Panel data - August 2026](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Limits Text as retrieved on October 24, 2026; originally published September 4, 2026. The figures report survey responses and expectations; they do not establish future outcomes. The source describes the panel as designed to be representative of UK businesses, with weighted results. The reported own-price measures cover firms across the whole economy, not only consumer-facing firms. ## Open question How will firms’ reported plans for prices and profit margins compare with what they do over the next 12 months? ## Source-stated The Bank of England says its Decision Maker Panel surveys Chief Financial Officers from small, medium and large UK businesses to monitor economic developments and track business views. > The Decision Maker Panel (DMP) is a survey of Chief Financial Officers from small, medium and large UK businesses. We use it to monitor developments in the economy and to track businesses’ views. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated The Bank of England published the August 2026 survey results on September 4, 2026. > Published on > 04 September 2026 - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms reported annual own-price growth of 3.7% for the three months to August, while year-ahead own-price inflation expectations were 3.8%. > Firms reported that their realised annual own-price growth was 3.7% in the three months to August, 0.1 percentage points lower than firms reported in the three months to July. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated The Bank of England says firms expected 3.8% year-ahead own-price inflation and that output price inflation was expected to rise by 0.1 percentage points over the next year, based on three-month averages. > Businesses therefore expect output price inflation to rise by 0.1 percentage points over the next year, based on three-month averages. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms’ year-ahead CPI inflation expectations fell to 3.1%, while their three-year-ahead expectations remained at 2.8%. > Expectations for year-ahead CPI inflation fell to 3.1% in the three months to August, down from 3.4% in the three months to July. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms reported annual wage growth of 4.0% and expected year-ahead wage growth of 3.4%; the Bank of England says this implies they expect wage growth to decline by 0.6 percentage points over the next 12 months. > This implies that firms expect their wage growth to decline by 0.6 percentage points over the next 12 months. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms reported annual employment growth of -0.2%, while their expectations for employment growth over the next year rose to 0.1%. > Firms reported that realised annual employment growth was -0.2% in the three months to August, up from -0.4% in the three months to July. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated The Bank of England reports that higher prices and lower profit margins remained the most common expected adjustments to the recent energy shock over the next 12 months. > In August, higher prices and lower profit margins remained the most common forms of adjustment. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source and contributor context Bank of England · Publisher The publisher is identified here. No individual author has been inferred. ## Source media Media retrieval status: unchecked. ## Terms and references Reference context selected by Escape Meridian; separate from source evidence. Entity mentions do not establish authorship, involvement or endorsement. ## Consumer price index A measure of the average change over time in the prices consumers pay for a representative basket of goods and services; it measures inflation as consumers experience it in day-to-day living expenses. - [Definition reference](https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm) ## Figure Figure develops humanoid robots and publishes its own tests of how they perform physical tasks. - [Explore this context](/entities/figure) - [Reference](https://www.figure.ai/news) - [Reference](https://www.figure.ai/news/helix-2-5-zero-shot-30-home-generalization) ## Editorial provenance Version 1. Publication ID: d98cd622-4fec-b140-ffdf-e2d6c36ab05c. Prepared by openai/gpt-6-luna; grounding review by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5. Source check: uncertain by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 on 2026-11-06T04:33:24.780Z. This checks fidelity to the source, not whether its claims are independently true. Editorial selection: accept; reasons: bridge\_admitted\_by\_model. Observation: 3e6f7552d1647c0eb41a901bc3400df398f475c0e8d458a552ffafaff7f2a7f4. Source text hash: ee1b77c62568f73885f840313d071e3ab90459450e8a7ad1a9f2f31a27418a0b. ## Revision and source-check history ### Version 1 — 2026-11-06T04:38:23.192Z The Bank of England published its August 2026 Decision Maker Panel results on September 4, 2026. The survey asks Chief Financial Officers at small, medium and large UK businesses about economic developments and business views. Firms reported that annual own-price growth had eased slightly, while they expected own-price inflation to rise over the coming year. Their year-ahead expectations for CPI inflation fell, and three-year-ahead expectations were unchanged. Reported annual wage growth was unchanged, and firms expected lower wage growth over the next year. Reported employment growth was still negative, though less so than in the previous three-month period; firms’ employment growth expectations for the next year rose to a small positive figure. The Bank of England also reports how firms expect the recent energy shock to affect their businesses over the next 12 months: higher prices and lower profit margins remained the most common expected adjustments. These are survey responses, not observed future outcomes. The results describe firms’ reported experience and expectations; they do not establish how prices, wages, employment or margins will change. How will firms’ reported plans for prices and profit margins compare with what they do over the next 12 months? ## Original source Bank of England · Article Original source date: Sep 4, 2026 (2026-09-04T08:30:00.000Z). Date basis: Date supplied by the publisher’s feed. Added to Escape Meridian: 2026-11-06T04:38:23.192Z. First observed: 2026-10-24T01:15:39.992Z. Retrieved: 2026-10-24T01:17:36.216Z. - [Monthly Decision Maker Panel data - August 2026](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Limits Text as retrieved on October 24, 2026; originally published September 4, 2026. The figures report survey responses and expectations; they do not establish future outcomes. The source describes the panel as designed to be representative of UK businesses, with weighted results. The reported own-price measures cover firms across the whole economy, not only consumer-facing firms. ## Open question How will firms’ reported plans for prices and profit margins compare with what they do over the next 12 months? ## Source-stated The Bank of England says its Decision Maker Panel surveys Chief Financial Officers from small, medium and large UK businesses to monitor economic developments and track business views. > The Decision Maker Panel (DMP) is a survey of Chief Financial Officers from small, medium and large UK businesses. We use it to monitor developments in the economy and to track businesses’ views. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated The Bank of England published the August 2026 survey results on September 4, 2026. > Published on > 04 September 2026 - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms reported annual own-price growth of 3.7% for the three months to August, while year-ahead own-price inflation expectations were 3.8%. > Firms reported that their realised annual own-price growth was 3.7% in the three months to August, 0.1 percentage points lower than firms reported in the three months to July. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated The Bank of England says firms expected 3.8% year-ahead own-price inflation and that output price inflation was expected to rise by 0.1 percentage points over the next year, based on three-month averages. > Businesses therefore expect output price inflation to rise by 0.1 percentage points over the next year, based on three-month averages. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms’ year-ahead CPI inflation expectations fell to 3.1%, while their three-year-ahead expectations remained at 2.8%. > Expectations for year-ahead CPI inflation fell to 3.1% in the three months to August, down from 3.4% in the three months to July. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms reported annual wage growth of 4.0% and expected year-ahead wage growth of 3.4%; the Bank of England says this implies they expect wage growth to decline by 0.6 percentage points over the next 12 months. > This implies that firms expect their wage growth to decline by 0.6 percentage points over the next 12 months. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated Firms reported annual employment growth of -0.2%, while their expectations for employment growth over the next year rose to 0.1%. > Firms reported that realised annual employment growth was -0.2% in the three months to August, up from -0.4% in the three months to July. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source-stated The Bank of England reports that higher prices and lower profit margins remained the most common expected adjustments to the recent energy shock over the next 12 months. > In August, higher prices and lower profit margins remained the most common forms of adjustment. - [Supporting source](https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/decision-maker-panel/2026/august-2026) ## Source and contributor context Bank of England · Publisher The publisher is identified here. No individual author has been inferred. ## Source media Media retrieval status: unchecked. ## Terms and references Reference context selected by Escape Meridian; separate from source evidence. Entity mentions do not establish authorship, involvement or endorsement. ## Consumer price index A measure of the average change over time in the prices consumers pay for a representative basket of goods and services; it measures inflation as consumers experience it in day-to-day living expenses. - [Definition reference](https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm) ## Figure Figure develops humanoid robots and publishes its own tests of how they perform physical tasks. - [Explore this context](/entities/figure) - [Reference](https://www.figure.ai/news) - [Reference](https://www.figure.ai/news/helix-2-5-zero-shot-30-home-generalization) ## Editorial provenance Version 1. Publication ID: d98cd622-4fec-b140-ffdf-e2d6c36ab05c. Prepared by openai/gpt-6-luna; grounding review by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5. Source check: uncertain by anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 on 2026-11-06T04:33:24.780Z. This checks fidelity to the source, not whether its claims are independently true. Editorial selection: accept; reasons: bridge\_admitted\_by\_model. Observation: 3e6f7552d1647c0eb41a901bc3400df398f475c0e8d458a552ffafaff7f2a7f4. Source text hash: ee1b77c62568f73885f840313d071e3ab90459450e8a7ad1a9f2f31a27418a0b. ### uncertain — 2026-11-06T04:33:24.780Z — anthropic/claude-opus-5.5 Publication: d98cd622-4fec-b140-ffdf-e2d6c36ab05c attribution — pass: The reading attributes the survey, its figures and interpretations to the Bank of England's Decision Maker Panel release. That matches the page. The 'Other Monthly Decision Maker Panel data' sidebar is a related-links block attached to a single substantive release, so the page is one piece. > The Decision Maker Panel (DMP) is a survey of Chief Financial Officers from small, medium and large UK businesses. summary — uncertain: The figures and directions are faithfully summarised. CPI is defined beside the reading, but 'own-price growth' and 'own-price inflation' are central and unexplained; a general reader may not know these mean the prices firms charge for their own products. The source equates this with 'output price inflation'. The reading also gives no evidence-supported significance beyond the figures, and it never says the release does not mention AI. Smallest repair: gloss own-price as the prices firms charge, or add a term-library entry, and state plainly what the release does not address. > Note that the DMP covers own prices from firms across the whole economy, not just consumer-facing firms. date — pass: originalPublished is 2026-09-04T08:30Z, so the UTC day is September 4, 2026. The page's own dateline gives the same date, and the reading states that date correctly. The kind is publisher-page, not archive-copy, so no archive disclosure is required. The reading makes no hindsight claims and keeps forecasts as firms' expectations. The sidebar listing earlier releases is not relied on. > Published on 04 September 2026 support — pass: Every numeric claim matches the source: 3.7% realised and 3.8% expected own-price growth, an implied 0.1pp rise, CPI expectations of 3.1% and 2.8%, wages of 4.0% and 3.4% with a 0.6pp decline, employment of -0.2% rising to 0.1% expected, and the energy-shock adjustments. The caveat that these are survey expectations, not outcomes, is appropriate. The question follows from the reported plans without presupposing an answer. > Businesses therefore expect output price inflation to rise by 0.1 percentage points over the next year, based on three-month averages. media — pass: No media was selected and none was supplied or verified, so there is no media identity or relevance issue. ## Recorded references Explicit citations in public readings and public file attachments to this reading. Shared topics are not citations. Other artifact types need an explicit reference adapter. No public references recorded here yet. [Reference data (JSON)](/readings/892d0321e29a15dd83a0f61a643bf93cda4811ea9eba54aa2e7938acb4406003/references.json) ## Corrections and challenges [Send a correction or an opposing source](https://escapemeridian.com/corrections/) [JSON record](https://escapemeridian.com/readings/bank-of-england-reports-firms-august-price-wage-and-employment-892d0321.json)