The firms that know where they want to be spent the week hiring for it, and the ones that do not spent it cutting. Skanska is recruiting directors for London, Laing O'Rourke is selling its Middle East arm, and three big housebuilders are consulting on redundancies.

1. Skanska, McAlpine and Tilbury Douglas hire at the top for growth

Building reported that Skanska is recruiting project and commercial directors, senior project directors and design teams as it rethinks a 2025 strategy that cut its London commercial exposure. Building boss Lee Marks said the firm is tracking close to 50 projects across offices, data centres and defence worth more than £10bn. The same week Sir Robert McAlpine created a new executive director role for industrial and growth, filled by former Permasteelisa chief executive Liam Cummins, and Tilbury Douglas hired Vinci's Dave Clarke as regional director for Yorkshire and the North East.

For the people in it: Project and commercial directors with office, data centre or defence delivery behind them have a live conversation to open with Skanska in London, and regional building leaders in Yorkshire and the North East have a growing competitor to watch.

2. Laing O'Rourke puts its Middle East business up for sale

Construction Enquirer reported that Laing O'Rourke has appointed Lumina Capital Advisors to find a buyer for its Middle East business, which employs 204 staff and turns over around £270m. Group chief executive Cathal O'Rourke said the sale would let the group focus on long-term infrastructure in the UK and Australia. No price or timetable was given.

For the people in it: The 204 Middle East staff face a change of owner and some will weigh a return to the UK, where the group says its infrastructure business is now the priority.

3. Taylor Wimpey, Bellway and Vistry cut while Persimmon holds its line

Taylor Wimpey has begun consulting on redundancies across its roughly 4,500 staff, with no number given, and its trading update put 2026 completions at around 10,500 with profit at the bottom of the £262m to £299m consensus range. Bellway put a "limited number" of roles at risk at head office and in its regional divisions. Vistry is cutting 25 operating regions to 12 from January to save £50m in 2027. Persimmon, by contrast, said it remains on track for 12,500 completions this year, up from 11,905, with volumes expected to grow again next year.

For the people in it: Regional land, technical and commercial roles are at risk at three of the four largest housebuilders at once, and Persimmon is the one of the four planning to grow volumes next year.

4. McLaren is off the £280m Cardiff arena and the client takes over

Construction News reported that McLaren is no longer on the £280m Cardiff arena and hotel, being developed for Cardiff Council by a consortium of Live Nation and Robertson Property. The consortium said it is taking direct control of the next phase and keeping the subcontractors already on site. No replacement contractor was named, no reason was given, and the 2028 opening date stands.

For the people in it: A client running a £280m job directly needs its own construction, commercial and programme leads in Cardiff quickly, and the subcontractors on site need commercial managers who can work without a main contractor.

5. The £2.5bn Ladywood regeneration is dropped on viability

Construction Enquirer reported that Berkeley St Joseph and Birmingham City Council have wound up their partnership for the £2.5bn, 20-year Ladywood estate regeneration, planned for up to 7,500 homes, blaming rising construction and regulatory costs and a tougher housing market. The council says regeneration is not ending but the delivery route must change, with no new timetable given.

For the people in it: Birmingham's biggest residential regeneration has left the pipeline of the development and delivery teams building towards it, and anyone positioned for the single-developer model should watch how the council re-procures.

6. 155 contractors win places on PB4 and Pagabo opens a £2bn bid

New Civil Engineer published the full list of 155 contractors appointed to LHC Procurement Group's £2.34bn PB4 public buildings and infrastructure framework, which runs to 2 November 2030 with 75% of places held by SMEs. A place is a licence to bid, not work. Construction Enquirer reported that bidding has opened on Pagabo's £2bn small to medium works framework, with 40 regional sub-lots, up to 75% of appointments reserved for regional firms and bids due by 5 January 2027.

For the people in it: Bid, framework and pre-construction managers at regional contractors have a full winter, with PB4 call-offs to chase and a Pagabo submission due in the first week of January.

7. Output ticks up, orders fall and tender prices head higher

The Office for National Statistics said construction output rose 0.8% in September, ending four months of falls, with infrastructure new work up 3.3% while private new housing fell 4.7% over the quarter. Turner & Townsend reported new orders down 18.1% over the year and raised its tender price forecasts to 3.75% for real estate and 5.25% for infrastructure, with two-thirds of contractors surveyed putting margin ahead of revenue. Glenigan now expects sub-£100m starts to fall 13% this year.

For the people in it: Infrastructure is growing, private housing is shrinking, and the contractors winning are protecting margin, which puts commercial and planning skills at a premium over volume delivery.

From the site this week

My take

This week sorted contractors into two groups, and size had nothing to do with it. Skanska, Laing O'Rourke, McAlpine and Tilbury Douglas each said, in effect, this is our ground and we are hiring for it. Three housebuilders said the opposite, and the cuts land on regional teams first. If you are deciding your next move, put one question to any employer, present or prospective: where have you chosen to be, and who have you hired this quarter to prove it? A firm that cannot answer is managing for margin, which is two-thirds of them on Turner & Townsend's numbers, and margin management ends in consultations. As a former QS I would add that every growing business this week asked for commercial and planning skills, not delivery alone. Our weekly question asks what you would most want to know eighteen months before everyone else. Answer it here.