Property

Commercial construction activity plummets amid continued contraction in sector

New research from BNP Paribas suggests poor demand is strangling activity

The headline BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland Construction Total Activity Index - which tracks changes in the total volume of construction activity compared with one month previously - slipped further away from the crucial 50.0 mark last month. Picture: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Commercial building activity has fallen at the sharpest rate in over two years, according to new research from BNP Paribas, a “welcome development” in light of high vacancy rates in the sector.

The reduction formed part of a wider contraction of the construction industry, which saw a renewed decline in August, and coincides with input price inflation hitting a four-month high.

The headline BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland Construction Total Activity Index - which tracks ...