Economists such as Richard Jeffrey of CCF Charterhouse think Wednesday's increased earnings figures could prove crucial.

BBC: Inflation at record low

Richard Jeffrey, chief executive of Tie, is under political pressure to find a way of ending a dispute with the construction firm, Bilfinger Berger.

BBC: Edinburgh tram boss Jeffrey calls for political courage

But Richard Jeffrey, an economist at Charterhouse, an investment bank, fears that the economy is still expanding too rapidly, and that a rather harder landing may therefore be in prospect.

ECONOMIST: The economy: Bumpy landing ahead | The