The main points:

  • Monthly construction output fell 0.2% in volume terms in August 2021 with the level of output now 1.5% below its pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (February 2020) level; new work remained flat this month (0.0%) with repair and maintenance falling (0.6%) on the month; anecdotal evidence from businesses continued to suggest that product shortages caused by supply chain issues and subsequent price rises were the main reasons for the decline.

  • The level of construction output in August 2021 was 1.5% (£214 million) below the February 2020 pre-pandemic level; new work was 3.7% (£348 million) below the February 2020 level, while repair and maintenance work was 2.7% (£135 million) above the February 2020 level.

  • The recovery to date, since the start of the pandemic, is mixed at a sector level, shown with infrastructure 45.4% (£852 million) above and private commercial 26.3% (£656 million) below their respective February 2020 levels in August 2021.

  • Alongside the monthly fall in August, construction output fell 1.2% in the three months to August 2021, the first three-monthly fall since July 2020, driven by a fall in repair and maintenance of 4.7%.

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