State of Trade Survey

State of Trade Survey 2008 Q4

The latest FMB survey suggests that the construction industry continued to be badly hit by rapidly weakening economic conditions and an improvement looks unlikely in the immediate future. Workload balances have been falling across all sectors, as both firms and households cut any non-essential spending in the face of continued uncertainty. One positive sign is weaker rises in materials costs, as falling prices for oil and other commodities are passed on by suppliers keen to maintain their customer base.