The number of job losses in the volume housebuilding industry is gearing up, with Persimmon announcing 1,100 redundancies today. This represents around a fifth of the company’s workforce.
The news immediately follows Barratt’s announcement of 1,000 job cuts because of the slowing housing market. Taylor Wimpey had already said it was making 900 staff redundant and closing 13 offices.
TTJ reports in its current issue that the housebuilding slowdown is starting to have a knock-on effect in the construction products supply chain, with job losses at a number of timber firms, including Pasquill Roof Trusses, Howarth Timber Engineering, OSB build system producer Panaloc and Hickman Industries Ltd.
Travis Perkins has decided not to replace non-key staff, which a spokesperson said would lead to a reduced headcount probably in the range of the low hundreds over the next year.
