Construction firm confidence hits highest level this century

Construction firms are now more confident about their business outlook than at any time this century, new findings show.

The latest edition of the monthly construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) from Ulster Bank — one of the main health barometers for the sector — posted an overall score of 63.5 points for April, up from a reading of 60.2 points in March.

As well as showing a 10th consecutive month of new order growth, one of the sharpest rises in employment levels on record, and the eighth straight month of general activity growth, April illustrated the strongest level of business sentiment among respondent companies since the survey began in June 2000.