Data search: workloads, worries and salaries

CHANGING SANDS

Sand and gravel sales fell 10 percent in the second quarter due to uncertainty over the road project, according to the Mineral Products Association. The director of economic affairs, Aurélie Delannoy, said:

“Government uncertainty is harming our industry and the entire construction supply chain. The latest cancellation of the Stonehenge Tunnel and Arundel Bypass projects, following the previous cancellation of the northern section of HS2, is further eroding business confidence.

LEVEL LOAD

Workload in the construction sector has remained unchanged, with a net balance of zero surveyors signaling a change in the second quarter of the year, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). However, RICS expects “increased activity” in the coming months.

HEAVY MACHINERY

Equipment costs are the biggest concern for European contractors this year, followed closely by other issues, according to a survey by Aggreko.

TIGHT MARKET

More than four-fifths of construction companies struggled to recruit staff in the last quarter, according to a survey by the British Chamber of Commerce.

15

The amount of plastic waste from the UK construction sector has increased several times faster than the rest of Europe, according to research by the Copper Sustainability Partnership.

0.9%

The decline in material prices during the year to June 2024, according to statistics from the Ministry of Trade and Business.

12%

This is the proportion of administrations in the first half of the year that came from the construction sector, according to the law firm Shakespeare Martineau.

11,000

Wales needs more construction workers to support its growing economy, according to Welsh Minister Jeremy Miles.

GO SLOW

The construction sector saw the lowest growth in average wages in May 2024 compared to other sectors, according to the Office for National Statistics.