Built environment, construction, property, blokes with their arse hanging out…whatever you want to call it, this industry is an interesting place right now: a dire need for home grown talent like engineers, but a market where the roof seems to have caved in. Why my old friends at commercial real estate giant CB Richard Ellis have cancelled their 2009 world conference (jolly) for staff, clients and sponsors. At Canada last year we were treated to some warbling from Sheryl Crow (I think I left my watch in her hotel room) but we’ll have to wait to 2010’s event to heckle her again. We’ll be getting stories from a couple of construction industry specific career fairs this autumn, but against expectations right now, Balfour Beatty has shaken off the gloom and reported a 25% rise in half-year profits (£95m compared to £76m last year). As Britain’s biggest infrastructure firm, their current order book stands at over £12bn, which is 14% better looking than the same time last year. Big boss Ian Tyler said the firm had seen no slow down in orders. Good work chaps. Also a doff of the bowler hat to maintenance and building group Interserve who, by focusing on contracts in the growing Middle East market, has seen its half year profits up by almost 20%. Get Sheryl Crow on the phone!  

Vodafone will be looking to fill 200 new retail jobs as it announces plans for a further 50 stores across the UK – taking them to 400 stores – starting in Bristol and White City in west London. The design of the stores works hard to lure in lucrative business customers with separate areas to showcase mobile internet and email – well over half a million laptop plug-ins have been sold in the last five months. The high street finally news good it has.

“I didn’t mean to cause offence.” Heaven knows it’s a line I’ve had to use on many an occasion, but now Asda are saying it in response to their stocking £4 a pack Disney High School Musical knickers (my knickers often play a tune or two after lunch.) The underwear has understandably angered children’s charities including the NSPCC who have branded them, “sexually suggestive and inappropriate and unsuitable,” as they items carry the phrase (or indeed invitation) “Dive In” on the front of them. I wonder what pillock at Disney approved the design?! And what buyer at Asda will be changing their own underpants after a meeting with the boss?!

The bigger law firms are supposedly doing okay out of the credit crunch, it’s the smaller local practices that troll through property sales contracts that are feeling the pinch. However, magic circle City favourite Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has seen a mini-exodus of staff over the last three months. Rumours suggest as many as 10 solicitors may have departed. Its not the credit crunch, some of these bad boys come from the busy areas dealing with financial services regulation and regulatory litigation (I don’t know what that is either). According to the Evening Standard these juniors are leaving because they feel overworked and underpaid. One for the lawyers!