After plummeting to
-10 in October 2019, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index jumped 13 points in
November to +3; one of the largest increases in workload predictions the
monthly RIBA survey has seen.
Most regions showed
an increase in optimism during the month; participating practices in Wales
& the West returned a +10 balance (up from -25), while the North of England
returned a figure of +16 (up from +6).
Practices in London
and the South of England both had a zero-balance figure, up from -13 and -21
respectively. Only the Midlands & East Anglia region was less positive,
returning a balance figure of -6 in November.
In terms of practice
size, small practices (1-10 staff) showed a 16-point increase since October to
+1, while medium-sized practices soared to +42 (from +31), and large practices
remained consistent at +25.
Whilst remaining in
negative territory, sentiment improved across all sectors in November. The
community sector, the commercial sector and the private housing sector were all
at -4, and the public sector rose to -3.
The Future Trends
Staffing Index, which measures expectations of the number of permanent staff
over the next three months, increased three points in November, to +2.
RIBA Head of
Economic Research and Analysis, Adrian Malleson, said: “The November 2019
workload predictions suggest a moment of recovery for the architectural
community, with some pre-election optimism about increases in enquires and an
expectation of a rise in work.
"Nevertheless,
the architectural market remains fragile and uncertainty persists with
practices continuing to report projects failing to move beyond planning, client
caution and downward pressure on fees. We can expect further fluctuations in
the index over the coming months, as architects respond and adapt to the
changing landscape."
