CONSTRUCTION activity fell again in the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, a new survey has said.
The construction and infrastructure market survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and law firm Tughans, said the building sector continued to grapple with the impact of Covid-19 in the July to September period.
The survey said while workloads fell again in Q3, the rate of decline was less severe than Q2.
It also suggested expectations for the year ahead are less downbeat than they were in Q2.
There were improvements in other areas, but the private housing, private industrial and private commercial sectors were all still either flat or falling.
Jim Sammon, RICS construction spokesperson in Northern Ireland said: “Whilst an improvement on Q2, the third quarter of the year was another difficult one for the construction industry in Northern Ireland with lower demand and shortages of materials being amongst the main factors impacting on the sector.
“In these challenging times, it is clear that the role of government is more important than ever, in relation to capital spending, infrastructure and ensuring effective and efficient government and decision making that supports the private sector and the recovery.”
Michael McCord from Tughans, said: “The construction industry will have an extremely important role to play in helping drive a sustainable economic recovery in Northern Ireland.
“Investing in our infrastructure can play a central role in creating employment, driving spending in the economy, and ultimately improving Northern Ireland’s competitiveness for the long-term.”
