WS Atkins posts flat first-quarter sales but jobs to go as cost-cutting continues
ENGINEERING consultancy WS Atkins said first-quarter revenues were broadly flat but that it had cut more jobs during the period to combat challenging trading conditions in many of its markets.
The company, which provides architectural, design and construction services, yesterday said the UK building design and utilities markets were still soft and that business in the Middle East remained challenging.
“We have continued to flex our business to reflect the challenging trading conditions in a number of our markets and we have reduced our headcount accordingly,” the company said in a statement.
Atkins, which has worked on projects as diverse as Dubai’s seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel and Britain’s Greenwich peninsula, said its energy, highways and transportation businesses were performing well and that its management and project services arm was trading in line with expectations.