Increases in new work and repair and maintenance help figure head north

New work and an increase in repairs helped construction output head north by 0.5% in March, official figures said this morning.

The rise follows an increase of 0.2% in February although this was offset by a reverse of 0.3% in January.

New work in March grew by 0.6% while repair and maintenance which grew by 0.4%. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said private new housing and new infrastructure work were the biggest contributors to the rise in new work.

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Construction output headed north in March, providing the industry with more optimism for the year head 

But the figures from the ONS said growth in the first quarter of this year was flat compared to the final quarter of 2024.

Scott Motley, head of programme, project and cost management at Aecom, said: “While the improvement offers encouragement, maintaining momentum will be the sector’s number one priority as it continues to contend with wider economic pressures.”

The wider economy grew by 0.7% in the first quarter, beating the 0.6% anlaysts had been expecting.