EAST of England businesses will be focussing on investments in staff training in 2026 (44%), according to new research from Lloyds’ Business Barometer. This compares to the quarter (24%) of firms in the region that said they would be investing in staff training last year.

Another two thirds (35%) of the region’s firms also plan to invest in expanding into new UK markets in 2026, while 31% plan to invest in increasing wages for staff.

In the year ahead, the East’s firms will be focused on boosting their productivity (51%), upskilling staff (33%) and improving their environmental sustainability (32%).

Enhancing technology, such as automation or AI (28%), is the area where the most East of England businesses say they need extra support to achieve their 2026 goals.

The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly and which has been running since 2002, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.

Kirsty Sadler, regional director for the East of England at Lloyds, said: “Investment in people is key to long-term growth and resilience, and it’s great to see East of England firms putting training and development at the heart of their 2026 plans.

“Whatever businesses’ objectives for the year ahead, we’ll be ready to provide our support so they can take their next steps and make the most of new opportunities that arise.”