New figures have shown that more new businesses were established in Essex during 2017 than in the previous year – in contrast to the national trend.

In terms of new companies, 15,922 were registered in the county last year, compared to 15,887 in 2016.

The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of UK Company Formations.

John Korchak, Director of Operations at Inform Direct said: “These figures for new company formations during 2017 show that Essex continues to be a fertile ground for entrepreneurs and new business ventures. The results buck the national trend which saw an overall reduction in the number of new company formations compared to 2016.”