Fall of 1.8% recorded in October
Output fell by the largest amount since the covid-19 pandemic started, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed.
Activity slipped 1.8% in October, making it the largest monthly decline since April last year when activity collapsed more than 40% in the wake of the first lockdown being imposed last March.
New work fell by 2.8% from September to October with repair and maintenance remaining unchanged.
But infrastructure and private new housing fell 7.1% and 4.4% respectively although private industrial increased 8.8% and public other new work was up 7%.
Total output in October was 2.8% or 拢400m below the pre-pandemic level recorded in February 2020. New work was 6.2%, or 拢592m, below the February 2020 figure but repair and maintenance was 3.9%, or 拢193m, up on that month鈥檚 number.
The mixed set of results gave some cause for optimism with Allan Callaghan, managing director of Cruden 好色先生TV saying: 鈥淲e are beginning to see some green shoots of recovery in the sector.鈥�
But he warned some big jobs were coming to an end and added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that the industry maintains momentum with a strong pipeline of new building projects to help with the ongoing recovery into next year.鈥�
And Scape chief executive Mark Robinson said: 鈥淎 potential new wave of Omicron cases and the introduction of restrictions to curb it 鈥� on top of ongoing concerns around inflation 鈥� mean that 2022 is also likely to be characterised by challenges.
鈥淎llowed to go unchecked, these developments will only exacerbate existing labour and supply shortages, which will significantly dampen the sector鈥檚 ability to pursue further growth.鈥�
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