Archived article
Please note that tax, investment, pension and ISA rules can change and the information and any views contained in this article may now be inaccurate.
The UK construction purchasing managers' index rose to 45.3 in July, up from 43.1 in June, according to IHS Market.
A reading below 50.0 represents a decline in market activity. The market was expecting a higher rise to 46.0.
'UK construction sector output declined for the third month running in July, reflecting lower volumes of work across all three broad categories of activity,' IHS Market said.
'The latest survey also revealed a sharp drop in new order intakes, which survey respondents mainly attributed to subdued economic conditions and domestic political uncertainty.'