Ninety-seven per cent of the tradesmen questioned by Electricfix’s umbrella organisation Screwfix in its Trade Pulse report are currently working. In fact, nearly one in six are so busy they have more work than they can handle and 78 per cent have enough work to keep them busy, compared with 74 per cent for the same period last year and only 72 per cent in 2013.
Qualified electricians are among those tradesmen who are also optimistic for the future, with 59 per cent believing business will improve for them 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.
Andrew Livingston, CEO of Electricfix, commented, ‘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.’
