Deloitte study | Less hiring, more cost-cutting as CFOs brace for 2025 challenge

Deloitte’s latest survey of UK Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) paints a sobering picture, with business optimism falling to a two-year low in the fourth quarter. A net 26% of CFOs report feeling more pessimistic about their company’s prospects compared to three months ago. 

This marks the first dip into negative sentiment territory since mid-2023, though confidence remains well above the levels seen during the turbulence of 2020 and 2022.