Main points:

• Construction output grew by 2.9% in the month-on-month all work series in September 2020, driven by increases in both new work (2.7%) and repair and maintenance (3.4%); this is the fifth consecutive month of growth but the lowest rise in that time.
• The level of construction output in September 2020 was 7.3% below that in February 2020, with only infrastructure and private new housing having returned to above their pre-pandemic levels of output; all other types of work in September 2020 have yet to recover, with public new housing the furthest below its February 2020 level at 29.4%.
• Quarterly construction output grew by a record 41.7% in Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2020 compared with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2020; this was driven by record quarterly growth in both new work (40.8%) and repair and maintenance (43.4%).
• The increase in new work (40.8%) in Quarter 3 2020 was because of record quarterly growth in all new work sectors; the largest contributor was private new housing, which grew by 84.4% in Quarter 3 2020 compared with Quarter 2 2020.
• The increase in repair and maintenance (43.4%) in Quarter 3 2020 was because of record growth in all repair and maintenance sectors; the largest contributor was private housing repair and maintenance, which grew by 70.9% in Quarter 3 2020 compared with Quarter 2 2020.
• New orders grew by a record 89.2% in Quarter 3 2020 compared with Quarter 2 2020, following the record quarterly fall in Quarter 2 2020 of 54.0%; following this record quarterly growth new orders returned to a level comparable with Quarter 3 2019, increasing by 0.6% in the quarter-on-year series.
• The record new orders quarterly growth (89.2%) was because of 88.7% growth in new housing and 89.4% in all other work; public new housing was the only sector to decline in Quarter 3 2020 compared with Quarter 2 2020, falling by 1.8%.
• The annual rate of construction output growth was 0.4% in September 2020.

From: Latest Gov. Stats