Screwfix survey shows tradesmen are more cheerful about the economy

Tradesmen's confidence in the economy has reached record levels, according to an industry survey.

The surge in housebuilding has made Britain’s “white van men” feel far more cheerful about the outlook for their businesses, according to a survey from trade supplier Screwfix.

The tools retailer, part of the Kingfisher DIY group, polls around 1,000 tradesmen each month as a tracker study of the nuts and bolts of the British economy.

The latest Screwfix TradePulse survey, carried out in January, shows that confidence in the economy has bounced back from -18 points in January 2013 to a record 19 points last month, while business confidence climbed 17 points to 28 over the same period.

Tradesmen are also feeling more optimistic about their finances, with a 17pc drop in the number of tradesmen feeling the squeeze on household incomes since this time last year.

The number of tradesmen out of work has fallen by 2pc since January 2013, with the proportion in work, with further jobs in the pipeline, is stable, at three-quarters of the group surveyed.

However, the number of requests for quotes fell 9pc in January, compared to the previous month.
Sir Ian Cheshire, group chief executive of Kingfisher, said: “Even though 2014 has got off to a slower start, confidence levels are way ahead of this time last year.”

Source: the Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10611883/White-van-man-more-cheerful-about-the-economy.html