1st Quarter 2002 - Key Findings For the eleventh quarter in succession, the FMB survey finds clear indications of a further increase in the workload of small and medium-sized building firms, well ahead of the expectations expressed three months earlier. Only from the North of England, and the Kent/Surrey/Sussex segment of the South East, is there any indication of a downturn in workload. By type of work, the strongest trend is in repair, maintenance and improvement of private housing, with private housing new build the next strongest, but there are indications of a fall in industrial building work, and in most types of work for public sector clients. Almost half of all respondents are looking forward to a further increase in workload in the April-June quarter, with expectations strongest in Yorkshire & The Humber and the East Midlands, but firms in Scotland expect a slight downturn. Both new build and RM&I of private housing, commercial work, and new build and refurbishment of non-residential buildings for public sector clients are the types of work for which expectations are highest. The overall trend in enquiries about possible future work remains clearly positive, albeit not as strong as it was a year ago. However, firms in the North and in Northern Ireland report a downturn in enquiries, and there are only moderate positive balances of 'higher' and 'lower' replies from firms operating principally in London and in Yorkshire & The Humber. New build and RM&I of private housing are the types of work for which the trend in enquiries is strongest, whilst new build of social housing, and industrial building, are the ones for which the trend is weakest. The further rise in workload in the first quarter is accompanied by a small increase in the total workforce of FMB survey respondents. In the previous survey they had anticipated a slight fall. However, results by region for the change in employment are again quite varied, with indications of a slight fall in four of the nine English regions, and a larger one in Northern Ireland. Looking ahead to the second quarter, the overall expectation of a rise in employment is relatively strong, as strong as it was a year ago, but results for the North and North West of England, and for Scotland, are well below the average. Although employment has risen again, and is expected to rise further in the next three months, the proportion of survey respondents saying they are having difficulty finding adequate supplies of labour has eased slightly, but is still 60%. Meanwhile the proportion reporting difficulty obtaining prompt supplies of materials and products has dropped to its lowest level for more than a year. Written-in comments show recruitment and training heading the list of survey respondents' concerns they are looking to the FMB to address on their behalf. 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: 25 June 2002. Last modified: 25 June 2002.