A survey has shown that activity in the construction sector fell in June for the first time in almost four years.
The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) recorded 46.8, well below the 50 mark which represents no change.
Ulster Bank economist Pat McArdle said all three components - housing, commercial and civil - were weaker, but housing output was 'particularly anaemic'.
The housing index was 32.5, a figure Mr McArdle described as 'exceptional', though there were signs that sale prices had levelled off or even risen in June. The commercial index fell from 57.3 to 51.4, while civil engineering dropped from 55.6 to 50.6.
But Mr McArdle said that despite the weakening, the confidence part of the index recovered from a near four-year low in May, while employment levels at construction firms fell only slightly.
