The majority of UK architects predict no immediate improvement in their workload with the survey's overall future Workload Index for July 2012 standing at zero.
Architects in London are the most optimistic about their future workload, reporting a balance figure of plus 10, while Scotland and Northern Ireland they are the most pessimistic with figures of 20 and 60 respectively.
The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index increased to zero in July 2012, rising from minus two in June 2012.
Although on balance practices are predicting that they will be able to maintain current staffing levels there is little sign of any immediate prospects of growth in overall recruitment.
July 2012 saw 26% of respondents reporting that they had personally been under employed in the previous month.
‘RIBA members continue to report intense fee competition and a lack of project financing. Although none of the Future Trends Survey’s individual sector forecasts are predicting growth in workloads over the next quarter, the high end private residential market remains resilient in terms of work in progress, sustained by low interest rates and inward investment,’ said RIBA director of practice, Adrian Dobson.
‘The situation clearly remains very patchy with some practices describing conditions to be extremely challenging whilst others report full order books,’ he added.
