The Federation of Master Builders and Chartered Institute of Building surveyed 493 small and medium builders by email. Workloads were up across the UK, with the survey reporting a net positive balance in workloads of 22%. Enquires and employment were also up.
A lack of skilled tradespeople was a challenge for many. Almost three quarters (72%) had been affected by staff shortages; almost half (49%) had seen jobs delayed; 30% had paused plans to expand; and more than one-in-five (22%) had cancelled jobs.
The hardest roles to fill were carpenters (30% of respondents cited this), bricklayers (29%), and plumbers and HVAC (23%). Respondents said they had particular difficulty finding staff with heritage skills (58%), of new technologies (58%), sustainable building practices (57%) and knowledge of planning reforms (56%).
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