Designers and contractors in several global construction markets continue to contend with political and economic uncertainty heading into 2018. In September, construction in the United Kingdom saw a sustained drop in new work, which led to the first overall contraction in the market since August 2016, according to the IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Survey. Respondents to the survey pointed to economic conditions and uncertainty over Brexit, freezing possible new projects due to client indecision.
“Fragile client confidence and reduced tender opportunities meant that growth expectations across the U.K. construction sector are also among the weakest for four and a half years,” says Tom Moore, associate director at IHS Markit, noting that commercial development has been the worst-performing category in recent months.