RIBA survey finds recent trend of declining optimism is accelerating as wider economy continues to weaken
A trend of declining confidence among architects accelerated sharply last month with the biggest monthly fall since the early days of the pandemic as the wider economy continues to weaken.
根据RIBA未来趋势调查，4月份对未来工作量的预期指数下降了14。尽管23%的公司仍预计未来三个月的工作量将增加，18%的公司预计工作量将减少，59%的公司预计工作量将保持不变。
调查涵盖的4个行业中有3个行业的信心指数下降，其中公共部门自2021年8月以来首次跌至负值-3。
Private housing, consistently the best performing sector, plunged 10 points last month to a figure of +7, while the commercial sector slumped by one point to +3.
Most regions also saw confidence in future workload expectations fall, with the south of England dropping by a precipitous 25 points to -10 and Wales and the West falling by 24 points to an index figure of zero.
Gloom is also spreading in London, which continued to slide by 14 points last month. The capital has seen confidence drop by 32 points since February.
RIBA head of economic research and analysis Adrian Malleson said architects were working in the context of a “complex and weakening economic backdrop”.
He added: “Architects are having to grapple with challenges including rapidly rising inflation, significantly increased energy costs, continuing supply chain issues, cost of living increases and ongoing difficulties implementing the agreed trading arrangements with the EU.”
他补充说，实践方面报告了规划过程的持续拖延，以及对劳动力、材料和能源成本导致项目成本上升的担忧。
“Unpredictable and rapid, these rises are proving to hinder both project pricing and cash flow management,” he said.
Last month, UK Inflation jumped to 9% in the 12 months to April, up from 7% in March. Driven partly by the war in Ukraine, it is the fastest rate of price rises for 40 years.
But while Malleson said the strong levels of optimism seen in the immediate aftermath of the last easing of pandemic restrictions were petering out, architects were still reporting full order books and new inquiries, signifying that demand for work remains.
英国中部和东安格利亚地区上个月信心指数上升一个点，达到正6，是唯一一个乐观情绪上升的地区。The North of England also held relatively steady, falling by just one point to +17.
但所有规模的执业机构的信心都受到了打击，小型执业机构的指数下降了13点，至+3，拥有11名及以上员工的大中型执业机构的指数下降了17点，至+19。
Meanwhile, the index for permanent staffing expectations fell by four points to +5, with just 12% of practices expecting to employ more permanent staff over the next three months.
Anticipated demand for staff is highest in London and the south of England, both at +8, and in Wales and the West, at +9, and lowest in the Midlands and East Anglia where the figure is -8.
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