SMALL and medium-sized builders in Yorkshire saw an overall slowdown in both workloads and employment for the first quarter of 2005.

A survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) State of Trade showed one in three (34%) building firms in Yorkshire experiencing a fall in workload with 23% shedding workers.

The largest workload decline was in the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) of existing private housing stock. The only positive result was in private housing new build, which saw a 5% increase.

FMB regional director, Ron Wilson, said: "While it is not possible to form a conclusive judgement on the basis of one survey, these latest results do seem to point to a levelling of the underlying trend in workloads and jobs. Adding to this sobering picture is the fact that the proportion of builders reporting difficulty finding skilled labour is at its lowest since the third quarter of 1999."