The construction industry had a total labour force of 2.15m in Q2 2023, equivalent to some 7% of the total UK labour force. This compares with the pre-pandemic level of 2.3m in Q1 2020 and the peak over the past twenty-five years of 2.6m in Q3 2008 just as the global financial crisis was starting. The employment trend can be
The Insolvency Service reported recently that 88 company insolvencies were recorded in Scotland in January 2024, which is 19% lower than the number in the previous January. This amounted to 34 compulsory liquidations, 46 creditor voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 7 administrations and one CVA. January statistics on their own should not be regarded as a typical bellwether when trying to understand
Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover or guess a packaged gift from its shape, assessing the commercial risk of trading with a construction company by the figures in its balance sheet will not reveal the whole story. You also need to understand the company’s business model and the degree of ‘subjective’ valuation it creates. Here, we
On 25 May 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) wrote to all of the UK’s authorised loan-based peer-to-peer (“P2P”) crowding platforms, to express its concern about areas of potential harm for investors (i.e. lenders). Amongst the four areas listed was the adequacy of current wind-down plans (WDPs), their triggers, and liquidity monitoring. In its latest communication to the P2P sector
The housing market is a key part of the UK national psyche. The inexorable rise in house prices has enriched baby boomers, but now unaffordable prices exacerbated by sharply higher mortgage interest rates are destroying the life prospects and restricting the lifestyles of younger generations. The government talks of supply and demand, sets unrealistic housebuilding targets and tinkers with planning
More mixed signals on the economy mean uncertainty for UK businesses We finished 2023 with arguments raging on whether the UK was already in a shallow recession or might end up in one early this year. Now we have another batch of confusing signals. The respected EY Item Club have just upgraded their GDP growth forecast for 2024 to 0.9%
