CIPS Chief Economist John Glen comments on UK Augu

While the construction industry generally improved in August, some imbalances in the data are concerning. The residential construction industry contracted further as new housing starts fell. Housing activity fell by the second largest rate since 2009, excluding the pandemic years, and overall new orders fell at the fastest pace since May 2020. Overall, business activity such as office renovations improved, supporting the sector. One bright spot in the August data was the second-biggest improvement in supplier delivery times in 14 years as raw material constraints eased and supply chain performance improved.