Construction orders fall to lowest levels on record

Monthly construction orders for November 2008 fell to the lowest since records began in January 1983, according to government figures.

Overall, £1.8bn of orders were placed in November 2008, down 39% on the same month in 2007.

Orders in the three months to November 2008 fell by 9% compared with the previous three-month period.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics also show a sharp fall of 14% since October, predominantly on collapsing commercial development orders, down 35% to £518m from £793m the previous month.

Infrastructure orders in the three months to November 2008 fell by 48% compared with the previous three-month period.

It was not all bad news, however. Public non-housing orders increased in the three months to November 2008 by 9% compared to the previous three-month period, and rose by 43% compared with the same three-month period a year earlier. Orders in the 12 months to November 2008 rose by 31% compared with the previous 12-month period.