The seasonally adjusted construction purchasing managers’ index, or PMI, rose to 48.5 in August from 44.8 recorded in July. A PMI reading below 50 suggests contraction in the sector, while above 50 indicates expansion. The latest reading was above the long-run series average of 44.8.
Among the three broad areas of the construction sector, civil engineering and commercial construction sector declined in August. However, residential construction was broadly unchanged.