Especially regarding workloads and enquiries for roofing contractors and signs of reduced material cost pressures. However, it also highlights UK regions and areas of the industry where challenges remain.

The overall picture in terms of workload and new enquiries remains encouraging. The survey shows a total balance figure of 15% of respondents reporting increased workloads (38% reporting an increase minus the 23% reporting a decline), which indicates that growth continues. This is down from the overall balance figure of 25 in Q1 but still offers positive news for the sector.

Except for new residential, all new build and RMI sectors have positive balance figures, with commercial new build performing the best (27% net figure) followed by domestic RMI (22%) and commercial RMI (21%).

Although the new-build residential sector is still on balance, reporting a decrease in work, with a figure of -8, more respondents are seeing an increase in work compared with Q1 of the year—25% versus 17%.

However, workloads vary significantly across the UK, with the North-West and Midlands reporting the highest positive net figures of 20% each.

At the same time, Scotland and Wales had strongly negative figures of -43 and -34, respectively. Members operating UK-wide reported the highest proportion of an increase in workload, 56%, and only 13% said they had seen a fall in work.

There has been little change in terms of the proportion of respondents who have found it difficult to recruit in Q2 2024.

In Q1 and Q2, 53% reported that recruitment was more difficult than in the previous quarter. However, in Q2, a smaller proportion of respondents reported recruitment easier than in Q1 (3% vs. 9% easier, respectively). On balance, 50% found recruiting more difficult in Q2 compared with 44% in Q1.