December’s BuildOnline/CIPS (Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply) survey of the UK construction industry showed further growth in overall construction activity. According to the purchasing manager’s survey, the seasonally adjusted Commercial Activity Index rose for the 24th consecutive month, registering 56.0 in December compared with 56.8 in November. The Total Construction Activity Index (an indicator designed to provide a measure of construction industry business conditions) registered 55.5 in December compared with 54.3 in November. Commercial sector activity continued to grow although the rate of growth fell for the third consecutive month.
Meanwhile, optimism over prospects for the next twelve months rose to the highest level since June 1999. Mark Oliver, managing director of BuildOnline, commented, “The dash to install telecommunications and Internet infrastructure is driving many of the new orders in UK construction and will mean that the shortage of skilled labor, from carpenters to civil engineers, will continue. It’s also fueling considerable optimism in the industry which will only last if this surge in activity can be sustained.”
Based on a report from i-FM
