Figures from the Office for National Statistics published on 13 December show construction output was up 5.3% when compared with October 2012. There were increases in both new work (up by 5.1%)
and repair & maintenance (up by 5.6%).

Output was 2.2% more than in September, again with increases in both new work and repair and maintenance (2.4% and 2%, respectively).

The growth is new work was mainly due to new housing (up 5.8%) and infrastructure (up 7.5%). The 2.0% increase in repair & maintenance was attributable to the 3.9% increase in non-housing repair & maintenance, as housing repair showed no growth in October.

In the three months from August to October, construction output increased by 2.5% compared with the previous three months.

Private industrial fell 5.8% in October compared with September and is now estimated to be at its lowest level since the series began in January 2010. However, there is some hope ahead as orders showed an increase of 31.8%.

New Orders in the Construction Industry in general in Q3 are estimated to be 0.2% lower than in Q2, primarily due to a £250million (11.1%) fall in public new work apart from infrastructure. This fall was partially offset by a £200million (31.8%) increase in private industrial other new work.

When comparing Q3 with the same quarter a year ago, new orders have shown growth of 17.8%, an increase of almost £2billion, largely due to a £1.2billion (41.6%) increase in new housing and a £600million (21.3%) increase in private commercial other new work. The only sub-sector to show negative growth over this period was public other new work, which is estimated to have fallen 3.9%.