Research carried out by the retailer Screwfix has revealed that business confidence among UK tradespeople has more than quadrupled in the last 12 months. Screwfix’s Business Confidence Index is part of its monthly Trade Pulse survey, which is the result of contributions from 455 UK tradespeople, and aims to track work and optimism levels.
The overall confidence score in December 2021 saw a dramatic increase from +8 in December 2020 to +35. This has held steady since June 2021.
In addition, the December insights show that 38% of tradespeople reported increased business activity over the last 12 months compared with -8% in December 2020 and 21% in June 2021. The survey also indicated increased optimism around future business activity, with 41% expecting business to ramp up over the next year. This was a slight decrease from June 2021 (52%), with the rise in the Omicron variant of Covid-19 a possible factor.
The proportion of trades without work remained low at 4%, with 82% working and with further work lined up. John Mewett, Screwfix’s CEO, said: “The latest Trade Pulse figures show a stark contrast to the year before, and it’s really encouraging to see tradespeople are feeling confident about the future of their business. Despite the challenges of the last couple of years, our index shows most tradespeople are not only busy, but also lining up future projects.”
