Construction output falls 0.8% in May

Construction output fell 0.8% in May 2021 with the level of output remaining slightly above its pre-pandemic February 2020 level; new work and repair and maintenance both contributed to the monthly decline in May 2021 with anecdotal evidence from businesses suggesting the adverse weather conditions were a contributing factor.
Monthly construction fell by 0.8% in May 2021 from a month earlier because of declines in both new work (0.4%) and repair and maintenance (1.5%).
The level of construction output in May 2021 was 0.3% (£43 million) above the February 2020 pre-pandemic level; while new work was 3.5% (£320 million) below the February 2020 level, repair and maintenance work was 7.5% (£363 million) above the February 2020 level.
In contrast to the monthly fall, construction output grew by 6.3% in the three months to May 2021 compared with the previous three-month period, with increases in both new work and repair and maintenance of 6.6% and 5.8% respectively.
The increase in new work (6.6%) in the three months May 2021 was because of growth seen in all sectors, the largest contributors to this growth were private housing new work and infrastructure, which grew by 7.4% and 9.7% respectively.
The increase in repair and maintenance (5.8%) in the three months to May 2021 was because of growth in non-housing and private housing repair and maintenance, which grew by 9.0% and 4.7% respectively.