Construction left wishing and hoping for investor confidence and government action to get Britain building

By Chloë McCulloch2025-03-12T07:00:00

Trapped in a holding pattern, a report out by Arcadis characterises the industry as one in need of some help - it’s hard to disagree

Spring may have sprung but the mood in the business community is more gloomy. The latest data out last week from S&P Global showed falling confidence among purchasing managers. The index – which has a 50 no-change threshold – fell steeply to 44.6 from 48.1 in January, with the housing sector dropping for the fifth time in a row to register a dismal score of 39.3.

This is not where construction bosses want to be, and the commentary accompanying the stark figures laid the blame on “delayed decision-making among clients, reflecting squeezed budgets and concerns about the economic outlook”. This chimes with what we are hearing from construction companies.

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