The upturn in work is obviously a bonus, and long may it continue, however, come October who knows what will happen. Speaking to our clients, there seems to be mixed feelings about what the future holds, and whilst large M&E Contractors are bound to suffer from education cut backs on new academies, this will force the refurbishment of existing units which will create work for the smaller contractor. Guessing the the economy is like guessing whether it will snow in January, no one really knows what is going to happen.

I hope I am wrong, but the recent news has in my opinion, caused a very real threat of a double dip recession in the construction industry that is still only on a life support machine because of Public Sector work, this company and thousands of others would not be here without it. All trades in construction have suffered 20-30% pay cuts just to keep working in the last two years, this news is just another kick in the balls for an industry that has been affected worst than most. I am no economist, but I don’t think George Osborne knows what he is doing!

The pay rates and margins on these projects are still extremeley competitive, and tradesmen are working at a rate that is generally 20% lower than what they were earning during the peak, but work is work, and maybe a backlog of delayed projects will get the industry moving again.

The industry appears to have stagnated over the last eight weeks, and it really feels about time that the election was done and dusted so the uncertainty of who is going govern the country is out of the way. Increasingly it looks like we may have a hung parliament that experts (and I am not one) suggest could be disastorous for any recovery in the economy because of the turmoil and inter government fighting it will cause.

One thing is for certain, sooner or later, things must start moving again, and for every day companies manage to stay in business, it is a day nearer to the end of the recession and the hope of getting moving again.