New data published by the Insolvency Services shows the number of registered company insolvencies in November 2022 was 2,029. This was 21% higher than in the same month in the previous year (1,676 in November 2021), and 35% higher than the number registered three years previously (pre-pandemic; 1,505 in November 2019). The data published today also shows that there were 290 compulsory liquidations in November 2022, which is more than 5 times as many as there were in November 2021.

Claire Burden, Head of Advisory Consulting at Evelyn Partners and a Board member of the Institute for Turnaround comments: “The year-on-year rise in the number of monthly company insolvencies can be attributed to businesses struggling to deal with post Covid debts, rising interest rates and inflationary increases failing to be passed onto already cost-wary consumers. We are seeing an increasing number of worried directors who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat. These are good companies but facing serious and continuing increases in energy costs, wage demands and interest rates. The vast majority of directors have never before faced these levels of inflation and are having to change their ways of working to assert more control.

“The insolvency stats remain concerning for one main reason: the sheer level of liquidations compared to ‘rescue’ insolvency procedures like administrations, where jobs are saved. This highlights that directors are leaving it far too late to take the steps needed to save jobs. This delay is not only having a wider economic impact through job losses, but also may cause a raft of claims against directors personally for failing to protect the interests of the company and its creditors. Insolvency is always the last option. Directors should be proactive, taking all action possible. We have distilled this into the 12 key activities that directors should prioritise in the lead up to 2023, to be recession ready.