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Business barometer

The total value of work won in November was almost half the figure for the same month last year. As the country slips further into recession, the top 30 companies won 276 deals worth 拢1.2bn compared with 303 worth 拢2.1bn in 2007: a 44% drop. Sir Robert McAlpine, last month鈥檚 number one, did not feature in this table; neither did Bovis Lend Lease, Skanska or Costain.

Only Kier made it over the 拢100m hurdle, sealing 40 deals worth 拢202m and breaking the 拢200m mark for the second consecutive month. Its biggest wins were in education, highlighting the buoyancy of that sector. Contracts included a 拢31m student accommodation scheme in Luton and a 拢27m project for the University of Bedfordshire.

Despite the gloom, the year鈥檚 rolling total increased from 拢27.1bn in November 2007 to 拢30.1bn in November 2008.

Laing O鈥橰ourke only won two jobs but they were enough to propel it into second place after it came 14th last month. Schemes included the 拢28m air sciences building at Oxford university and a 拢60m international pier at Birmingham airport. Its 拢88m haul would only have been good enough to secure sixth place last month, and 10th place in November 2007.

Third spot was taken by ISG, which won a 拢52m contract from Suffolk council to build a college in Ipswich.

The top five was completed by BAM Construct, with four wins, and Morgan Sindall with 32. Education also provided a fruitful sector for BAM, as it won a 拢42m deal with Bolton community college and a 拢30m deal with Newcastle-under-Lyme college.

In sixth place was Balfour Beatty with 拢69.6m of work. With 46 wins, its average project size was only 拢1.5m.

The 拢125m-turnover Buckingham Group came in seventh place, thanks to the controversial 拢65m contract to build a football stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion, a scheme that got the go-ahead despite protests from green campaigners.