Private housing output drops faster than any other construction sector

The fall in construction output last autumn was weakened further in November by heavy rain and strong winds, according to the latest official figures.

Output in the month slipped 0.2% due to adverse weather, following a 0.4% fall in October that has been revised down from the 0.3% previously reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

November’s decrease to a monthly value of £15.6bn came solely from a 2% slump in new work which reveals the worsening impact of the seasonal weather after the 1.7% fall seen in the preceding month.

Total construction output fell by 0.6% in the three months to November despite new work in the repair and maintenance sector increasing by 3.8%.

Private new housing posted the largest fall in November out of nine sectors, with output falling 3.9% month-on-month.

Public new housing output however increased 2.9%. When it comes to repairs and maintenance, private work rose 0.8% while public jumped 7.7%.

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The construction drop is in stark contrast to the rest of the economy, which rebounded by 0.3% in the month after shrinking in October.

The ONS said the stronger than expected growth was led by the services sector, with Black Friday sales and fewer strikes contributing to the turnaround.