LONDON (AFX) - The UK construction sector continued to expand at a strong rate in May, driven by further robust growth of the firm's order books, according to the latest survey of the sector from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
The CIPS reported that its headline activity index stood at 56.8 in May compared with 57.1 in April, signaling a twenty-eighth consecutive monthly expansion of overall business activity.
The following table provides a breakdown of the results of the survey.
A reading above 50 signals expansion, below it contraction. The greater the divergence, the more rapid the rate of change.
All figures, with the exception of future business, are seasonally adjusted.
------------------------ May Apr Mar
Construction activity 56.8 57.1 56.9
New orders 58.6 64.0 59.0
Employment 54.9 55.7 55.0
Prices 63.1 65.8 67.5
Quantity of purchases 54.7 53.9 56.4
Suppliers' delivery times 47.8 46.5 44.8