WHAT’S NEW? CTOR DOWNTURN EASES uction sector downturn eased in May, according to the latest construction PMI.


business sentiment has remained more downbeat than at any time since October 2008.”


Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, commented: “The construction sector suffered one of its worst results in May since the PMI surveys began as building work was grounded by the pandemic and lockdown measures.


“Spending was slashed as clients continued to stonewall building firms and put new projects on hold. With furloughed staff across the supply chain, companies saw their capacity leak away and the construction sector now faces the most challenging environment for generations. Building materials were in constrained supply as vendors


”THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR SUFFERED ONE OF ITS WORST RESULTS IN MAY SINCE THE PMI SURVEYS BEGAN AS BUILDING WORK WAS


GROUNDED BY THE PANDEMIC AND LOCKDOWN MEASURES.“


gradually reopened in May, while items such as personal safety equipment were difficult to source.


“As the sector staggers back to work, and builders put their heads above the parapet, they face a number of obstacles. New safer working practices will ensure operations can continue but client confidence to place new orders is harder to predict. As the furlough scheme is unravelled towards the end of the summer, the floodgates preventing redundancies may also fly open and job losses will follow without a strong pipeline of work waiting in the wings. It will take a long time for the sector to build strength from the ruins of COVID-19.”


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