“Question of the month”

In January CE asked respondents whether they thought there would be a serious economic crisis in 2008. Most were positive, with 74% of respondents saying they didn't think there would be a crisis this year.

But while the figures were clear, the range of comments about this subject made for interesting reading. One respondent said, “We are most certainly talking ourselves into a recession,” and these views were echoed by others.

Another common thread was the cost of oil. One respondent said, “Fuel prices are driving the economy down on top of the building slowdown,” and again, he was not alone in this view.