The Companies Survey for the third quarter of 2016 indicates that, further to the previous quarter, the business sector grew rapidly. The weighted net balance for the third quarter is positive to a statistically significant degree in the overall business sector (Figure 1 and Table 1). The positive picture is reflected in all the large industries—manufacturing, services, trade, and transport and communications—where the net balances are positive, while in the smaller industries—construction and hotels—the net balances are negative in the third quarter. In the trade and services industries, expectations are for continued rapid expansion in the fourth quarter, while expectations are more moderate, and even negative, in the other industries.
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