September 2024 RIBA Future Trends Reveals Improving Outlook

In September, the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index stood at +3, a one-point increase compared with August. A positive balance indicates an overall expectation among architects that workloads will increase.

26% of architects’ practices anticipate an increase in workloads over the next three months, while 22% expect a decline. 52% expect workloads to remain stable.

The outlook across all four monitored work sectors has improved. The housing sector has returned its highest Workload Index figure since the summer of 2022:

• The outlook for the commercial sector has improved further, with a Workload Index figure of +8, the highest balance figure since spring 2022.
• The outlook for the public sector remains subdued but has risen to -1, up from -4 last month.
• While still negative, the outlook for the community sector has again improved, with a -2 figure this month, compared with -5 in August.
• The outlook for private housing has become positive. With a Workload Index of +5, September sees the highest balance figure since summer 2022 and the first positive balance since spring 2023.

Overall the outlook among the regions is improving and the capital has returned to a positive outlook. However, the outlook of small and larger practices continues to diverge. Small practices are increasingly pessimistic about future work, while medium and large practices are increasingly optimistic.

The RIBA Future Trends Permanent Staffing Index rose to a +6 balance figure in September, indicating that practices, on balance, intend to recruit permanent staff over the next three months. 11% of practices anticipate an increase in permanent staff in the coming three months, 5% expect a reudction, and 84% expect no change. Meanwhile, the RIBA Temporary Staffing Index recovered this month, returning a +3 balance.

For more information, read the full RIBA Future Trends Survey for September 2024.