Business confidence remained elevated ahead of Q4 2021 despite falling from record high levels in Q3. All components of the index slipped ahead of the fourth quarter, but only the national indicator reflected pessimism. The index fell 11.2 points from Q3 2021 to Q4 2021, but rebounded modestly (1.1 points) ahead of Q1 2022. While panelists expressed concerns about COVID variants, inflation, and the supply chain, they also expressed optimism about increased demand and the relative improvement in COVID cases and the supply chain.