Construction in Northern Island growing

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Good news for the construction sector as workloads in the region have increased for there fastest level in five years but the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey said the region still lags behind the rest of the UK in terms of recovery.

The construction industry in Northern Island estimates it has lost at least 26,000 jobs in NI since the 2008 downturn – about 30% of its workforce which was a harsh blow.

Jim Sammon said The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey said”We are talking about small improvements from a low base and key challenges remain,”

“Finance is tight, private sector activity remains scarce, and public sector demand remains constrained. We urge the NI Executive to encourage and nurture a recovery by increasing infrastructure spending,” he said.

Patsy McGlone, the chair of the Stormont All Party Group on Construction, welcomed the news, but said he remained cautious.

“This announcement indicates a move in the right direction for the construction industry, which has suffered greatly during the economic downturn,” he said.

“The scrapping of such high profile projects, such as the Maze (peace centre), has been bad news for potential construction jobs in the North.

“Action needs to be taken by the executive, to ensure that all viable construction projects are completed in order to achieve the maximum number of jobs in the industry.”