The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI® ) posted 56.0 in May, up sharply from 53.1 in April, to signal the strongest expansion of overall business activity for 17 months. While the headline index signalled robust growth momentum during May, the latest reading was still much weaker than the post-crisis peak seen in January 2014 (64.6).
UK Construction PMI rose to 56.0
UK construction companies experienced a sharp rebound in business activity during May, helped by the fastest upturn in residential work since the end of 2015. The latest survey also revealed a sustained recovery in new work, following the soft patch seen during the first quarter of 2017. Increased workloads encouraged greater staff recruitment and a marked expansion of input buying across the construction sector. Meanwhile, prices for imported materials continued to push up input costs during May. However, the overall rate of input price inflation eased further from the peak seen at the start of the year.
- Popular
-
UK still likely to leave the EU with a negotiated agreement, says Number 10
A successful deal with the European Union remains the “most…
-
Sentix Investors Confidence rose to 14.7 in August
The summer heat in Europe is also causing economic temperatures…
-
German factory orders -4.0% seasonally adjusted on the previous month
Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports…
-
China's July exports growth still seen holding up despite U.S. tariffs: Reuters poll
China's exports are expected to have maintained solid growth in…