Mixed reaction to plans to lower barrier on foreign workers to ease skills shortage
Government plans to ease the industry’s chronic shortfall of workers and skills by loosening the rules on employing foreign workers have had a mixed reception from industry bodies.
The aim to extend the existing Shortage...
Supplier delays and inflation ease but housing slows – S&P
Supplier delays and input cost inflation around the industry have begun to recede but housing activity fell for a third month in a row amid an overall picture of construction growth, according to the...
‘We need retrofit strategy, not another reshuffle’ – FMB
Another cabinet reshuffle – including the fifth new housing minister in 12 months – will do nothing to ease the woes of SMEs without bold policy action, says the FMB in response to the...
Construction down …optimism up – S&P reports
A sharp decline in house building has led to the fastest fall in construction output since May 2020, while business expectations rebounded to the highest confidence level in six months, according to the latest...
Homes and RMI to take the brunt of recession forecast amid ‘less friendly govt...
UK construction output is predicted to fall by 4.7% this year with house building and RMI feared to be the worst hit before recovering with a marginal growth of just 0.6% next year, according...
Recession fear drives fall in construction confidence
Confidence amongst constructors dropped into negative territory last month for the first time since the initial Covid-19 wave and for only the sixth time on record amid expectations of a recession and poor demand...
‘Business optimism lowest for two and a half years’
UK construction companies signalled a renewed slowdown in business activity growth during November, with optimism among businesses now at its lowest since May 2020, according to the latest S&P Global / CIPS UK survey.
Tim...
Modular giant VBC reveals UK entry plan
Volumetric Building Companies, said to be one of the world’s biggest modular building manufacturers with global sales nearing $1billion, has announced plans to expand into the UK, targeting the build-to-rent, affordable housing, student accommodation,...
More gloom ahead, say CPA and S&P
Further evidence of growing pessimism over the future of the industry has come from two reports this week, with the Construction Products Association forecasting a 3.9% drop in output next year and the latest...
Business optimism sinks as new orders stall – CIPS PMI
UK construction companies reported a modest increase in business activity last month, but subdued demand was signalled by the weakest trend for new orders since the recovery began in June 2020, according to the...
