Housebuilding boosts UK construction sector in July

UK housebuilding grew at its fastest rate in nearly 11 years in July, a survey suggests.

The Markit UK Construction PMI report said home building grew at its steepest rate since November 2003, driven by strong demand for new projects.

Housebuilding is just a part of the PMI index. which also includes commercial building and civil engineering.

Overall, the index edged down to 62.4, from 62.6 in June. But anything above the 50 level indicates growth.

The report says that construction activity has grown for 15 consecutive months and that last month hiring in the sector grew at its fastest rate since the survey began in April 1997.

"July's figures suggest the UK construction sector is enjoying its strongest cyclical upswing since the global financial crisis, while a new record rise in employment highlights that construction firms are increasingly confident about the sustainability of the upturn," said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit.

The report also indicated that civil engineering activity lifted strongly in July and that commercial construction also rose, but at a slower rate than in June.