‘Trades people are getting busier’

2015 has got off to a busy start for UK plumbers and other trades people, according to new research released by Plumbfix.

97% of the those questioned by Plumbfix’s umbrella organisation Screwfix in its Trade Pulse* report are currently working.  One in six is so busy that they have more work than they can handle and 78 per cent have enough work to keep them busy. The figures compare with 74 per cent for the same period last year and 72 per cent in 2013.

Qualified plumbers are among those trades people who are also optimistic for the future: 59 per cent thinkg their business will improve in the next 12 months. For more than one in three, business is busier than expected and they are preparing more quotes compared to this time last year.

The optimism they are feeling for their own businesses is also mirrored in their feelings about the general economy, as 53 per cent think it will grow in the next 12 months.

Plumbfix chief executive Andrew Livingston says: “2015 has got off to a buoyant start for UK tradesmen, with many taking on more work year-on-year. This trend has also come through other measures such as the latest construction growth figures**.

“With so many tradesmen reporting that they’re currently in work, expecting to get busier through the year and brightly looking ahead to the future, we are focused on continuing to help them where we can to build on their current business success.

“We know it’s crucial that tradesmen can get the goods they need and get back to their job as quickly as possible.  For this reason, we’ve committed to opening more than 50 new stores across the UK and creating an additional 900 jobs in 2015.  These investments are designed to offer our trade customers more choice of how and where to shop, whether online, over the phone or in store.”

* Screwfix Trade Pulse is a monthly index which surveys more than 500 UK tradesmen to track work levels and optimism among the trade.
** The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), by Markit