Big rise in construction employment

There was a near-record rise in construction employment as companies responded to greater workloads in January while the rate of input cost inflation quickened to the sharpest since February 2007, according to the latest Ulster Bank Construction PMI report.

The report found activity in the construction sector continued to rise sharply in January on the back of higher new orders.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index, which is a seasonally adjusted index designed to track changes in total construction activity, posted 55.7 in January to signal a further marked monthly increase.