The RIBA has published its Future Trends Survey results for May 2025.
The profession’s outlook for future work is positive and improving this month. The RIBA Workload Index is at its highest level since mid-2022.
The May RIBA Future Workload Index returned a +11 balance figure, an increase of eight points compared to April. A positive balance indicates that, overall, practices expect workloads to increase during the next three months.
Thirty per cent of practices anticipate an increase in workloads, while 19% expect a decline. Fifty-one per cent expect workloads to remain stable.
All regions expect workloads to grow over the next three months. All sectors are positive about future work, with the Private Housing sector the most optimistic.
However, current workloads remain lower than a year ago. The average practice workload has decreased by 6% over the past twelve months.
The RIBA Permanent Staffing Index shows that, on balance, practices intend to increase the number of both permanent and temporary staff over the coming three months. Nevertheless, average practice staff levels are reported to be around 4% lower than twelve months ago.
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With across-the-board optimism, May’s Future Trends data shows the profession is more optimistic about future work than it has been for some time, with overall expectations for growth across all regions, sectors, and practice sizes. Anticipated increases in both permanent and temporary staffing levels underscore this optimism.
While the outlook for the commercial and residential sectors has again improved, the public sector stands out this month. With a balance figure of +4, this is the first time in over three years that the sector has been positive. This may reflect hopes for renewed investment in the public estate
While all practice sizes are positive, small practices, those with 10 or fewer employees, remain the most cautious, with almost a quarter expecting their workloads to decline. Commentary this month describes areas where practices see workloads increasing, notably overseas work, the community sector, residential work with private developers, and small-scale domestic extensions.
Nevertheless, despite this overall optimism, the profession continues to face significant challenges. The increase in employer National Insurance has added to practice costs, and delays in the planning process continue to frustrate project progress. Practices are also contending with process complexity for higher-risk building, delays in client payment, fee undercutting, and continuing economic uncertainty.