The
construction industry output volume in Great Britain in February this year rose by 6.1 percent compared to January and was down 4.6 percent compared to the same month last year, according to a report released by the
UK-based Office for National Statistics (ONS). In particular, in February new private house buildings rose by 6.6 percent, and private industrial work rose by 7.7 percent, both on month-on-month basis.
Commenting on the figures,
UK-based
Construction Products Association's (CPA) economics director Noble Francis said, "February's positive figure has to be seen against the background of a 13 percent decline in output in January and is five percent below the level of output in February last year.
Construction faces a very uncertain future with the latest new orders falling 14 percent, 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."