Standing view · business · Lichfield
deteriorating, held with established confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2026-06.
Business deaths in Lichfield rose to 180 in the first quarter of 2025, fell to 110 in the second and 100 in the first quarter of 2026, then rose to 115 in the second. No figure for formations is published, so the net change in the business base cannot be established. Closures are well below their level at the start of 2025 but have turned upward in the most recent quarter, which is why the direction reads as unfavourable rather than settled.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Lichfield. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Business deaths | 2025-03 | deteriorating |
| Business deaths | 2025-06 | improving |
| Business deaths | 2026-03 | improving |
| Business deaths | 2026-06 | deteriorating |