A report from Ulster Bank shows that growth in activity in the construction sector accelerated in December after hitting a four-month low in November.
The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index recorded 59.1, up from 58.2. Chief economist Pat McCardle said the industry seemed to have ended last year on a high, though the average PMI figure for the year was slightly below the exceptional 2004 performance.
Growth was fastest in the housing sector, while the rate of growth in civil engineering was the sharpest in a year. But the pace of expansion in the commercial sector eased for the third month in a row.
The rate of job creation in the construction sector reached a six-month high, according to the survey, but costs continued to rise sharply as past increases in the price of oil continued to filter through.
