Survey reveals challenges for 2018

Over 11,000 industry leaders have revealed their predictions for construction in 2018.

Through a survey, conducted for SCC Design Build, industry members have been polled for their opinions on a wide range of issues affecting the construction industry.

From Brexit, to the election of Donald Trump, the construction industry has had to battle some strong headwinds, and the poll sought opinions on how the industry was faring.

SCC Design Build, an industry-leading supplier of pre-cast concrete solutions for multiple projects, spoke to main contractors, architects, and housebuilders in the major industry survey.

The survey revealed the majority of respondents were ‘cautious’ about the construction industry going forward, rather than ‘confident’ or ‘not at all confident’. While some 53% thought that the construction industry would grow in the next eighteen months. Whilst reserved, these responses suggest that many are hopeful about the stability of their sector.

On Brexit, 41% of participants believed that negotiations would have the biggest impact on their business in the next five year. Problems highlighted focussed on employee growth and skills as specific concerns about the impact of our departure from the EU. With some eight per cent of the industry’s workforce coming from EU countries, companies are worried about the effect of their departure on the sector.

This problem is reflected in the survey, with 56% of respondents believing that the number of employees in their business would stay the same in 2018, and 41% thought it was very difficult to find workers with relevant skills.

Overall there was a positive outlook for the industry especially in responses to questions about turnover and growth. Some 43% of business owners expect their turnover to increase, and 81% believe that new build housing (over public sector and government-funded infrastructure projects, for example) will provide them with the biggest opportunity for expansion.

Respondents expect commercial projects to remain steady going forward, with 51% saying they would like the government to spend more on major infrastructure projects like HS2, to boost the economy.

Jim Durkan, Commercial Director of SCC Design Build, comments on the survey’s findings: “The results of this questionnaire have improved our understanding of industry confidence levels and of the expectations of business leaders across the country.

“Naturally, there is still an element of uncertainty surrounding Brexit though. For the construction industry, this has manifested in widespread concern about the availability of employees.

“However, the responses we collected show that whilst directors are cautious about the future, they are by no means pessimistic.”

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