The Office of National Statistics published data for February’s output on Friday showing that construction output for the month was 6% up on the previous month but still 4.6% down on February 2011.
Construction Products Association economics director Noble Francis sounded a note of caution about the prospects for the industry for the rest of the year.
He said: “February’s positive figure has to be seen against the background of a 13% decline in output in January and is 5% below the level of output in February last year. Construction faces a very uncertain future with the latest new orders falling 14%, and private sector investment still not growing at a rate to compensate for the sharp falls in public sector spending on construction. Despite these positive figures for February it is now almost inevitable that construction output will fall in the first quarter of the year and have a negative effect on the growth in GDP.”
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