The downturn in Britain's construction industry eased in July as commercial building and housebuilding weakened less sharply and builders turned the most optimistic since before the Iran war started, a survey by S&P Global showed.
The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 44.7 in July, jumping from 38.4 in June to well above the 40.0 median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.
"July data suggests that the performance of the UK construction sector has started to stabilise after a sharp downturn throughout the second quarter of 2026," said Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
