Future Trends survey showed all regions stayed positive

Architects鈥� optimism about upcoming workloads remained high last month with just 10% expecting it to fall in the coming quarter.

The latest RIBA Future Trends index said 34% expected work to grow in the next three months with 56% expecting it to remain flat.

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Optimism about commercial work crept up last month, the RIBA said

The overall index showed a score of +24, down five points on the score posted for March.

Practices of all sizes are expecting workloads to increase, with larger practices remaining the most optimistic.

All regions stayed positive with London, previously among the most pessimistic during the three lockdowns, returning a score of +12. Firms in the north of England remained the most optimistic with a score of +44.

Private housing stayed the strongest sector by far with a balance of +35 last month, while commercial, which has been hit by the stay at home orders during lockdown, stayed in the black at +7. Public sector work edged up from zero to +2.

The RIBA鈥檚 staffing index grew by four points to +11 last month but the group鈥檚 head of economic research and analysis Adrian Malleson warned that a third of firms expect profits to fall this year while firms said the slow pace of planning continues to hold up jobs.