April data indicated a moderate recovery in construction output following the weather-related disruptions seen during March. House building was the main category of activity to experience robust growth in April. However, there were signs that underlying demand across the construction sector remained subdued, with total new work rising only marginally in April. The increase in new business was the first recorded by the survey so far in 2018.

At 52.5 in April, the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index picked up sharply from the 20-month low seen in March (47.0). The latest reading was the highest since November 2017 and signalled a moderate expansion of overall construction output.