Construction output grew by 0.9% in January 2021, following a 2.9% decline in December, according to the latest official figures.
But the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed that the January 2021 level of output was still 2.6% below the pre-pandemic level recorded in February 2020. New work was 6.4% below this level, although repair and maintenance was 4.5% above, despite a monthly fall.
Repair and maintenance decreased by 0.4% month on month in January 2021 because of a 4.7% fall in private housing repair and maintenance, despite growth of 5% in public housing and 1.3% in non-housing repair and maintenance.
In the three months to January 2021, compared with the previous three-month period, construction output increased by 1.7%, thanks to a 2.2% rise in new work and a 0.8% increase in repair and maintenance.
Meanwhile, figures from the ONS (below) showed how all work remains 2.6% below the pre-pandemic level. While private and public housing as well as public, private industrial and private commercial work all remain in negative territory, infrastructure and repair and maintenance have grown above their pre-pandemic level.
