Optimism amongst Irish construction firms has reached a near-record high, on the back of new business orders hitting a five-month peak in November.

Improved forecasts at the outset of the year were made real by the best Christmas figures for retailers in five years. 

Building activity rose rapidly in the final quarter of last year according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index, with builders believing the upturn has finally arrived.

The construction sector remains deep in recession, although there are signs that the pace of contraction is slowing, according to the latest Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index.

The rate at which jobs are being lost in the construction sector intensified last month with activity and new business also falling at faster rates, the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index indicates.

The downturn affecting Ireland’s once thriving construction sector is showing real signs of worsening, with one of its main performance gauges noting activity declined at the fastest pace for nine months in June.

House building is now the weakest element of the construction sector which has continued to contract — cutting jobs every month over the last five years.

The Irish construction sector remained in decline in March, according to latest data published today, marking the 57th consecutive month of falling activity.

THE contraction of the battered construction sector is accelerating with orders and employment continuing to fall, the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index indicates.

New figures are bringing positive news for the construction industry.

OPERATING conditions in the construction sector worsened further last month, with the fall in building activity speeding up.

THE rate of contraction in construction activity eased again in March, but the level of under-performance in the sector remained sharp.

ALL areas of the Irish construction sector are in decline, with a particularly steep reduction in civil engineering activity.

THE construction sector has cut jobs for the 28th month in succession, according to Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index.

THE Irish construction sector continues to shrink rapidly on all fronts and is expected to decline further with almost half of those still engaged in the sector expecting to be engaged in less work this time next year.

August saw strong growth in the Irish construction sector, according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index released today.

Irish constructors continued to record a strong rate of activity expansion in May, according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index.

Irish constructors recorded a robust expansion of activity in March, according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index.

The Irish construction economy again recorded a strong rate of activity growth in January, according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares finished in the black today, up 19.12 points to 7545.25.

Construction activity in Ireland rose for the twenty-fifth successive month in September, according Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index.

Construction activity in Ireland rose for the twenty-fourth consecutive month in August, according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index.

Spending on public capital projects may undershoot targets by a large margin this year, according to a survey by Ulster Bank.

Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index survey data for June shows further growth for the Irish construction economy.