CONSTRUCTION - Grinding to a halt
WORKERS, JUNE 2008 ISSUE
Activity in the UK's construction industry sank to its lowest level for nearly a decade in April, according to a report from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. The Institute's Construction Purchasing Managers Index, which measures overall industry performance, registered 46.1, the weakest reading since December 1998.
A figure of 50 and above represents growth. Poor economic conditions, especially in the slowing housing market, and reduced tendering opportunities have been blamed for the drop. All three sectors of the industry – housing, commercial construction and civil engineering – reported falling activity.