Weaker housing activity growth weighs on UK construction
Staff Writer |
March data revealed a slowdown in growth across the UK construction sector, led by a weaker rise in residential building activity.
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The latest survey also pointed to only a marginal increase in new work, which contributed to slower employment growth and a slight decline in input buying.
However, construction companies remain relatively upbeat about their near-term growth prospects, partly reflecting a stabilisation of client confidence from the post-referendum lows seen in 2016.
Optimism regarding year-ahead business activity picked up in March to its second-highest since December 2015.
The seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped from 52.5 in February to 52.2 in March, to signal the joint-slowest upturn in overall construction output since the current period of expansion began in September 2016.
Softer growth primarily reflected a loss of momentum in housing activity, which offset a rebound in both commercial and civil engineering activity.
The latest increase in work on civil engineering projects was the fastest so far in 2017 and the strongest of the three subcategories monitored by the survey in March.
Subdued new business growth persisted in March, with the rate of expansion unchanged from the fourmonth low seen in February.
Construction companies noted that squeezed client budgets had acted as a brake on new business growth.
There were also reports citing planning delays and greater cost consciousness among clients.
At the same time, survey respondents noted that reduced Brexit-related anxiety and the resilient economic backdrop had a positive impact on new invitations to tender.
This helped underpin an improvement in business confidence regarding the growth outlook.
Almost half of the survey panel expect a rise in business activity during the year ahead, against only 9% that forecast a decline.
Construction companies recorded a solid increase in employment numbers in March, although the pace of job creation eased to a three-month low.
Meanwhile, sub-contractor usage dipped slightly since February, but construction firms continued to report a sharp drop in the availability of sub-contractors. ■