What the latest ONS data means for the construction industry

The latest ONS data for the construction insustry, released in November shows a largely positive picture for the industry, despite a challenging start to the year, with widespread flooding followed by a global pandemic.

Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, explains:

“Despite the construction industry experiencing major disruption and challenges throughout 2020, the latest official figures show that the industry is well and truly on the path to recovery.

“The seasonally adjusted data shows that total construction output has steadily and consistently risen from its lowest point of 56.8% in April, and reached 99.8% by November, which was the highest total output the industry has experienced since January 20201.

“New housing made up a quarter (25%) of all construction output, and was the largest sector for new work, which amounted to 62.8% of all output in total. The remaining 37.2% consisted of all types of repair and maintenance2.

“These figures show a tremendously positive outlook for the recovery of the industry, with output once again comparable to pre-Covid levels. It’s important to remember that these statistics do not include the most recent lockdown, and the ongoing virus and future lockdowns will always be a threat to the health of the industry.

“However, it’s clear from the past year that construction in the UK is an incredibly resilient sector and has the strength to bounce back from any setbacks.”

For more information about IronmongeryDirect, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/