LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Construction production in the United Kingdom increased marginally in November, data released by the Office for National Statistics showed Friday.
The non-seasonally adjusted contraction output edged up 0.2 percent on a monthly basis in November, recovering modestly from the 0.1 percent decline seen in October. The volume of new construction works moved up 0.2 percent month-on-month, while repair and maintenance works rose 0.3 percent.
'The soft November construction output data follow on from very weak industrial production data for November which suggest that the industrial sector (which accounts for 15.4% of GDP) likely contracted by around 1.2% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter of 2011,' Howard Archer, Chief European and UK Economist at IHS Global Insight, said.
On an annual basis, construction output decreased 1.6 percent in November. In the three months ended November, output decreased 1.9 percent from the preceding three-month period, while year-on-year it dropped 1.2 percent.
'It is clear is that the construction sector is facing an extremely challenging environment, which threatens to seriously limit activity over the coming months,' Archer added.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX