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Construction activity in Ireland deteriorated at its fastest pace in five months in December as output and new orders continued to fall as challenging economic conditions weighed on demand, according to S&P Global ( S&P Global), announced today and quoted by DPA. 

BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland's core construction managers' index fell to 43.2 in December from 46.8 the previous month.

Any reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector.

In December, a decline in activity was observed in all three observed construction categories, with the most serious decline in civil engineering.

Residential building construction declined for the third month in a row, while the decline was the most insignificant for commercial projects.

New orders fell for the ninth straight month in December and at the fastest pace since August. 

Amid these lower workloads, firms cut headcount at the fastest pace since March 2021.

Construction in the EU accelerated its growth in October

Commodity price inflation was still lower than in November and the lowest in 21 months.

Delivery times were significantly extended due to general supply chain issues and to some extent due to poor weather conditions.

Demand conditions are expected to improve in 2023, supporting confidence in activity forecasts for the year ahead.

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