Construction sector fell by 0.5% in August 2023

The construction sector fell by 0.5% in August 2023 after a fall of 0.4% in July 2023, according to the latest ONS data.

This is revised up from a 0.5% fall in the previous publication, with the monthly value in level terms in August 2023 at £15,584 million.

The decrease in monthly output came solely from a decrease in new work (1.5% fall), partially offset by an increase in repair and maintenance (1.0%) on the month.

At the sector level, five out of the nine sectors saw a fall in August 2023, with the main contributors to the monthly decrease seen in private commercial and private new housing, which decreased 4.1% and 1.4%, respectively.

Alongside the monthly decrease, construction output saw an increase of 0.9% in the three months to August 2023; this came from increases in both new work (0.9%), and repair and maintenance (0.9%).

In line with the National Accounts Revisions Policy, this release gives data for August 2023 for the first time and incorporates revisions for all periods; revisions up to June 2023 are consistent with the Gross domestic product (GDP) quarterly national accounts, UK: April to June 2023 bulletin, published 29 September 2023.