1st Quarter 2000 - Introductory Notes The first Federation of Master Builders quarterly state of trade survey in 2000 was supported by 360 member firms. The aggregate annual turnover of these firms is estimated to be close to £200 million, and their total workforce is currently around 4,250. This workforce is divided roughly 1.5:1 between direct employees, including working proprietors and partners, and sub-contractors. Individual replies are weighted by size of firm. This was an innovation in the FMB survey at the start of 1999, so the results of this survey are the first to be directly comparable with those obtained a year earlier. For the time being, there is not a sufficient run of data on the revised basis to attempt to adjust the results for normal seasonal variations in building activity. However, where changes in results from one survey to another are thought to be attributable to such variations, this is stated in the commentary. Further Information For further information, please contact: Federation of Master Builders Gordon Fisher House 14-15 Great James Street Holborn London WC1N 3DP Tel: 020 7242 7583 Fax: 020 7404 0296 First posted: 24 May 2000. Last modified: 24 May 2000.