December data pointed to another sharp reduction in construction output, with a downturn persisting across all three broad categories of activity. Survey respondents attributed the latest drop in their workloads to political uncertainty and subdued client demand ahead of the general election. At 44.4 in December, down from 45.3 in November, the headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index registered below the crucial 50.0 no-change value for the eighth consecutive month. The current period of falling business activity across the construction sector is the longest recorded by the ... (full story)