Brickonomics

Contractors are bagging a third less new work than at peak

The latest new orders figures provide a sobering injection of reality after the barrage of "it's okay the recession is over" talk that seems rife. Yes the rate of collapse has slowed. But it's the level that really matters at...

Posted by Brian on October 1, 2009 10:47 AM

£9 billion owed in trade debt to UK's building specialists

It's a risky time to be owed money. Contractors and clients in the property world are falling like flies. So it was quite disturbing to calculate that £9 billion is outstanding in trade debt to the UK's building specialist contractors....

Posted by Brian on August 25, 2009 12:36 PM

How to stop suicidal bidding: punish the abusers

Let's start with an assertion: Suicidal bidding in construction is not consistent with fair trade and is not in the best interests of the consumer, the client, the industry or the long-term prosperity of the nation. It's a view. It...

Posted by Brian on August 11, 2009 10:08 AM

The orders figures and public spending fears point to industry chaos ahead - need it be so?

The good news is that after the monstrous distraction over the past month cause by raking over expense claims made by MPs we are getting back to debate about things that really will shape our lives - notably how much...

Posted by Brian on June 11, 2009 1:20 PM

What revelations are there in the insolvency figures?

If Pestilence is the diseased financial system War is contractual and trade disputes Famine is the lack of orders Then Death must be measured by the insolvency figures. And they do look a bit on the pale side. The base...

Posted by Brian on May 1, 2009 11:11 AM

NSCC survey of specialists highlights strategic industry problems

I was passed a draft copy of the latest state of trade survey undertaken by the specialist contractors' body NSCC. It covers the first quarter of this year and tells pretty much the story you'd expect - orders and inquiries...

Posted by Brian on April 23, 2009 12:44 PM

Construction gains 47,000 jobs in 2008 - it may be official but I don't believe it

Apparently there were 2,285,000 or so jobs in construction in the final quarter of last year up 47,000 on a year earlier and just 1,000 down on the quarter before, which appears to be the peak in this economic cycle....

Posted by Brian on March 18, 2009 10:01 AM

Are the leaders of the contracting industry fit for purpose?

My attention was drawn to a letter sent yesterday by the Construction Products Association's chairman Adrian Barden to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform regarding the current plight of the construction industry. It makes hard, clear,...

Posted by Brian on March 7, 2009 8:42 AM

Plunging building materials imports shows speed of downturn

The cash spent on imported building materials plunged in the final quarter of 2008 despite the huge drop in the value Sterling providing a clear indicator of the rapid decline in construction activity. In cash terms the value of imports...

Posted by Brian on March 4, 2009 10:37 AM

Rapid rise in company failures underlines threat to construction firms

The latest insolvency figures make bleak reading and confirm the stress on construction businesses in the wake of the credit crunch. If you add up all the construction companies falling into receivership, administration or company voluntary arrangements in England and...

Posted by Brian on February 6, 2009 11:24 AM

Official figures suggest construction is faring better than most - really?

The appalling GDP figures released today suggest construction has got off relatively lightly so far - odd don't you think? The economy took its biggest nosedive since mid 1980 in the final quarter of last year, a drop of 1.5%....

Posted by Brian on January 23, 2009 10:29 AM

Construction job vacancies collapse

Record redundancies may be the headline in today's news bulletins and tomorrow's papers as the ranks of the unemployed creep towards 2 million. But in the detail of today's labour market figures of more concern to the thousands of redundant...

Posted by Brian on January 21, 2009 10:49 AM

Construction workforce grows by 30,000 - it's official, but surely it's wrong

The official labour market figures suggest that the construction workforce is growing. Surely this can't be the case? When I eagerly opened the latest press release on Labour Market Statistics this morning, I was looking for some clues as to...

Posted by Brian on December 17, 2008 2:40 PM

The beast of inflation may be in retreat, but it can still bite

As if the confusion over the credit crunch's causes and effects is not enough, we now have the related confusion over inflation. What is a good level for inflation to fall to if deflation is a fear? We have just...

Posted by Brian on December 16, 2008 12:34 PM

RICS pitch black news on commercial property - prices to fall more than in 1990s

If you like your news black like your coffee, then the latest survey of the commercial property forecast from the surveyors' body RICS will have you putting the kettle on if not reaching for the drinks cabinet. Expect property prices...

Posted by Brian on December 8, 2008 9:36 AM

Construction's only salvation is for the Government to spend big

A cut in interest rates by the Bank of England at noon this Thursday is being pencilled in by most analysts and economists, the only real question appears to be how big the cut will be. This may help the...

Posted by Brian on December 2, 2008 12:14 PM

Company collapses add to construction industry woes

The financial stress within construction firms caused by the credit crunch is made stark in the latest official insolvency figures. And the problems facing the sector are being increased as property firms collapse in massively swelling numbers. Between July and...

Posted by Brian on November 7, 2008 10:57 AM

OFT must act to stop suicidal bidding in the face of recession

If Mervyn King says we are about to head into recession, frankly it's pretty much a done deal. No matter how much the Government says it wants to protect construction, in reality there is only so much it can do....

Posted by Brian on October 22, 2008 9:09 AM

It's time to get to know inflation again

For both consumers and construction firms inflation is becoming a real factor once again and maybe it is time to give much more consideration to how to deal with it. I was brought up with inflation. I recall being told...

Posted by Brian on August 13, 2008 9:42 AM

Construction firms owe £30 billion to trade creditors

I am in the midst of putting together data for the Contract Journal Construction Top 100 and there were a couple of figures I thought worth sharing that have come out of some analysis on trade debt and credit. From...

Posted by Brian on July 30, 2008 7:01 PM