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Almost half of the UK鈥檚 small architecture practices and sole practitioners considered themselves to be 鈥渦nder-employed鈥� over the last month, according to a new survey by the RIBA.

A total of 47% of smaller firms 鈥� those with 11 employees or fewer 鈥� agreed they had been under-employed, compared to 17% of larger practices.

As a result, almost one in four architects surveyed (24%) predicted that their staff levels would decrease in the next three months, while 72% said they would remain the same.

The figures emerged from the RIBA Futures survey, which aims to monitor and predict employment trends in the architecture sector. The architects鈥� trade body plans to track workload confidence and staffing levels with results released on a monthly basis.

The survey also found that more than a third of UK architects (39%) were preparing for a decrease in workload, but that over half (51%) expected their workloads to stay the same until March.

The survey found that architects still have confidence in the public sector, with over a quarter (27%) predicting an increase in public spending in the next three months, and 60% saying it would remain constant.

Adrian Dobson, the RIBA鈥檚 director of practice, said: 鈥淎rchitects are now very cautious about future workloads and are re-structuring their practices in the light of economic developments. Practices are taking a realistic view and taking action now to ensure the viability of their businesses.鈥�