The English county of Lancashire is situated in the north west of England, and it includes towns such as Preston, Blackburn and Lancaster. The cities of Manchester and Liverpool play a dominant role in the area's economy as well.
Lancashire included the cities of Manchester and Liverpool until government boundary changes back in 1974, but the county is still dominated by these very large cities. Construction in the region has suffered badly since the crash of 2007, and that has meant permanent employment opportunities in the industry have been limited ever since. According to a recent report by Price Waterhouse Cooper(PwC), it was stated that 452 construction firms in the region have suffered insolvency during the last 12 months.
However, despite the struggling local economy, many recruitment agencies are reporting a slight improvement in the number of construction jobs in the area - particularly for skilled workers such as electricians. Other recent announcements in the region include a retail project in Warrington and the redevelopment of Albert Dock in Liverpool. Various other private and public construction initiatives may signal that the Lancashire construction industry has endured the worst of the economic downturn.
The volatile nature of the construction industry in general means that many staff vacancies are offered on a fixed-term contract. Construction firms are also increasingly employing building professionals on a self-employed basis.