Following the recent General Election, the Labour Party has secured a five-year term and set the stage for potential changes in the residential construction sector.
But, with ambitions that include the construction of an average 300,000 new homes each year set against a decline in the numbers of people employed in our industry, there are questions about how such target-driven progress can be achieved? Read on for a brief overview of the current situation and the new government’s plans.
With soaring energy prices, interest rate rises, some huge hikes in the cost of materials and the continuation of labour shortages, many construction industry businesses could be in for some turbulent times this year.
In many cases, the cost pressures are made worse by the fact that contractors are both tied into existing work which was based on estimations set well before the current price rises and are also busy looking at how they can respond to invitations to tenders in ways that make the jobs viable within the current circumstances. In today’s blog, we’re taking a look at what construction businesses (and those who work within them) can do to face this challenge.
Between July and September this year, the number of vacancies in construction soared to around 43,000 *. That’s double the amount of unfilled jobs the sector saw this time last year and the highest level ever recorded in the 20 years since the data was first collected back in 2001!
While this (alongside other issues like the rising costs of materials) might seem to be cause for concern as we head into the winter, some industry and recruitment experts believe things may be about to change. Find out more, including news of current vacancies at Sheriff, in this week’s blog.
A few weeks ago, we reported on some aspects of the UK budget which are likely to have an impact on construction. One thing we didn’t spot was Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a new Taxpayer Protection Taskforce which is set to investigate those who make fraudulent claims through government COVID support schemes such as furlough and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). In this week’s blog, we’re taking a closer look at what this taskforce is set to do and explore whether there is a problem in construction with some workers choosing grants over tools.
The government’s new Immigration Bill (which takes effect on January 1st 2021) introduces a new points-based system for anyone wishing to live and work in the UK. Achieving the 70 point requirement will be based on things like the level of English a person can speak, whether they have a confirmed job offer, the skill…