The monthly construction output decreased 0.8% in volume terms in July 2022 for the second consecutive decrease after 1.4% decrease in June, which followed seven consecutive months of growth.
The latest figures from Office for National Statistics found that the decrease in monthly construction output in July came solely from a decrease in repair and maintenance (2.6%) as new work saw a slight increase (0.3%) in the month.
At the sector level, the main contributors to the decrease seen were public housing, new work, and public and private housing repair and maintenance, which decreased 13.1%, 8.0% and 2.6%, respectively.
The level of construction output in July 2022 was 2.1% (£300 million) above the February 2020 pre-pandemic level; new work was below at 1.9% (£181 million) its February 2020 level, while repair and maintenance work was 9.7% (£481 million) above the February 2020 level.
However, despite the monthly decrease, construction output increased 1.4% in the three months to July 2022; this came solely from an increase seen in new work (2.7%) as repair and maintenance saw a slight decrease (0.7%).
This is the ninth consecutive period of growth in the three-month-on-three-month series, but the slowest rate of growth since the three months to December 2021 (1.0%).
