‘Building demand continues to rise’

A strong level of new work orders for building firms spurred the construction industry to a full-year of continuous growth last month, according to the main barometer for the sector’s health.

The latest edition of Ulster Bank’s Construction PMI (purchasing managers’ index), published this morning, shows a reading of 61.4 points for August.

Despite being slightly down on the 62.6 point reading for July, it was still well above the neutral 50-point mark which separates an industry in growth mode from one in decline.