According to estimated figures released by the ONS, output in the UK construction industry declined by 1.3% y/y in February 2015. This includes a drop of 0.5% y/y in new work and a fall of 4.3% y/y in repair and maintenance.
When compared with January 2015, output contracted by an estimated 0.9%. Repair and maintenance was down 1.4% on the previous month, with private housing, public housing, and non-housing repair and maintenance falling by 2.7%, 2.2% and 0.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, all new work dropped 0.6% m/m. Although public new housing and public other new work experienced increases, infrastructure, private new housing, private industrial and private commercial all contracted slightly.
In December 2014 – February 2015, construction output grew by 0.3% y/y. However, when compared to the previous three-month period of September – November 2014, output declined by 3.2%.
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham