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Tag: private sector

Latest construction output figures support recession fears

Latest construction output figures support recession fears

The latest construction output figures add further weight to fears that the industry is heading into recession. At first glance the figures may seem reasonably positive. The volume of work carried out in the three months to January was a shade (0.7%) up on last year. This seems to suggest that construction is holding its own in tough circumstances. Looked at on an annualised basis construction has been broadly flat since May last year, as we can see from the…

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Worrying new orders figures, despite 18% quarterly jump

Worrying new orders figures, despite 18% quarterly jump

You wouldn’t expect a sharp rise in new orders for construction to be a cause for concern – not in today’s work-starved economy. But that is just what we have. On the face of it the 18% jump quarter on quarter in the volume of work in the final three months of last year should be a reason to cheer. More work in the pipeline, yippee. And I suppose it is not unreasonable to see it that way. But sadly…

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Architectural and engineering firms see drop in turnover in 2010

Architectural and engineering firms see drop in turnover in 2010

The cash brought in by UK based architects and engineers last year dropped by a further 2%, according to the latest official figures on manufacturing and services turnover. This puts turnover down about 8% in cash terms since the peak of 2008. Sadly this data series does not split the work on the basis of domestically generated and overseas generated work. But data from the pink book does suggest that exports account for about 10% of turnover. Given that architectural…

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Why construction firms must recruit financial engineers

Why construction firms must recruit financial engineers

Financial engineers – you can be forgiven for holding them in total contempt. The finger of guilt for the recession ravaging construction firms points witheringly in their direction. But, galling as it might seem, construction now needs financial engineers more than it needs civil, structural, mechanical or electrical engineers. The tools and tool-making talents of financial engineers could prove vital in thawing billions of pounds worth of frozen projects. It offers the potential to generate a vaste source of new…

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Has the housing mini-boom run out of puff?

Has the housing mini-boom run out of puff?

All the gauges appear to be reading “set fair” in the housing market, so why the long faces among those in the know? The latest RICS housing market survey on the face of it provides every reason to suspect that better times lie ahead. This follows a raft of housing indexes showing house prices rising steadily for several months. The RICS survey has for three months now seen more surveyors reporting rising prices than reporting prices falling and the majority…

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Annual construction output forecast to fall £23.5 billion over next two years

Annual construction output forecast to fall £23.5 billion over next two years

The first of the spring forecasts for construction has winged its way into my inbox. It is the Hewes and Associates’ forecast. Hewes expects on the basis of current data that levels of construction output will fall back to those last seen in 1996 before we see a recovery. This may seem a bit drastic, but I fully expect other forecasters to be plotting the future in a similar direction. Broadly the forecast is of the same shape as that…

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