22nd September 2025

The RIBA has published its Future Trends Survey results for August 2025.

Twenty per cent of small practices anticipate an increase in workloads in the next three months, 25% expect a decrease, and 54% anticipate no change.

In contrast, the outlook for large (51+ staff) and medium-sized practices (11 -50 staff) has again improved and remains strongly positive, with a combined Workload Index of +38 in August, up from +34 in July. Forty six per cent expect workload growth, 8% anticipate contraction, and 46% expect no change.

The regional outlook remains positive in all areas, with confidence increasing in some regions and falling in others.

London’s Workload Index rallied strongly this month, with a +14 workload index, up 13 points compared with last month. The North of England has also seen an increase in optimism, with its Index figure rising from +10 in July to +22 in August.

All other regions have seen a fall in confidence this month. The Workload Index for the Midlands and East Anglia fell from +14 in July to +1 in August. For Wales and the West, the Index fell from +22 to +8, and in the South of England, it fell from +5 to +1.

The sectoral outlook has seen some significant falls this month, with three of the four sectors now anticipating contracting workloads in the next three months.

Confidence in the private housing sector has fallen again. From a high of +16 in May, the sector’s Index now stands at -7, as practices, on balance, expect housing workloads to contract in the next three months.

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The outlook for the public sector has fallen back into negative territory, with a Workload Index of -4 in August, following a +4 figure in July.

Workload expectations for the community sector have also slipped back into negative territory, with an Index figure of -1 in August, down from +2 in July.

In contrast, the outlook for the commercial sector remains positive and has held broadly steady, with a Workload Index of +8, down one point compared with July.

Commentary

The August RIBA Future Workload Index shows a profession becoming more measured in its outlook, with the headline figure falling to +2, down from +9 in July. While this still indicates overall growth expectations, the fall reflects growing concern, particularly for the private housing sector, and among smaller practices.

Small practices are increasingly pessimistic, with their Workload Index turning negative while medium and large practices remain firmly optimistic.

The sector-specific data is the most concerning. While the commercial sector, a significant source of revenue for medium to large practices, is proving resilient, the private housing sector, the largest revenue source for smaller practices, has shown a sharp decline. The public and community sectors have also slipped into negative territory.

Commentary received this month is downbeat overall, as practices describe a period of decline in project activity and new enquiries. Downward pressure on work is coming from rising costs, weakened client confidence, a stagnant economy and increased regulatory burdens, including the Building Safety Act. Planning delays are consistently reported to be a major barrier to project progress.

Nevertheless, some practices are cautiously optimistic about future work, expecting workloads to improve after the summer. Recruiting to meet workloads is a challenge for some.