A survey which measures activity in the construction sector hit a new low in May.
The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) recorded 33.9, representing a substantial fall in activity. Any figure below 50 means activity declined.
Ulster Bank chief economist Pat McArdle said that while a decline in housing had levelled off in recent months, other areas continued to weaken. The housing part of the survey recorded 28.1, down from 28.4 in April.
Commercial building activity fell from 39.2 to 37.3, while civil engineering came in at 36.1, a slight improvement from April but still a sharp fall.
The employment index also hit a new low, which Mr McArdle says indicates a poor outlook for activity in the coming months. Almost a third of companies surveyed also believed that activity over the next year would be even weaker.
