A recent survey shows a continued increase in the overall levels of activity for September 2000 in the UK construction industry, with the rate of growth hitting a three-month high. BuildOnline, working with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, conducted the survey. The Total Construction Activity Index (a measure of business conditions) reached 59.9 in September, up from 58.0 in August. The commercial construction sector showed strong growth in September, with growth expanding for the twenty-first consecutive month. The seasonally adjusted Commercial Activity Index rose to 60.2 in September, compared with 59.2 in August.
Input prices also rose considerably, partly caused by the recent surge in global oil prices, along with shortages in a variety of construction materials. The Prices Index reached 71.8 in September, up from 68.2 in August, with seasonal adjustments. The use of subcontractors by panel members rose in September as well, as did all construction employment levels, which increased for the eighteenth month in a row. BuildOnline President Brian Moran says: “The report on construction for September gives varied signals—optimism resulting from the highest growth in construction activity for three months is tempered by continued cooling of housing market activity, and yet further rises in input prices.”
Based on a report from i-FM
