UK construction sector growth accelerated in April, but remained way adrift of its post-crisis peak rate, a survey shows.
The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply’s purchasing managers’ index for construction, which measures activity, rose from 52.2 in March to 53.1 in April on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Although moving further above the level of 50 deemed to separate expansion from contraction, signalling slightly faster growth of construction activity, the index is well adrift of its post-crisis peak of 64.6 achieved in January 2014.
Growth of housebuilding activity accelerated in April to its fastest pace in four months, with this index rising from 51.7 to 53.3 but well adrift of the reading of 68 for July 2014.
Growth of civil engineering activity also accelerated last month. However, the pace of increase of commercial property construction eased.
The survey, conducted by IHS Markit, shows the fastest pace of job creation by UK construction companies since May 2016.
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