New figures released by the Office of National Statistics show record output from the Scottish construction industry over the 12 months to June this year.
Overall, there was a 20% increase in industry output compared to the previous 12 months taking the industry’s total output value to more than £13 billion. Output rose across all sectors of the industry including a 60% rise in the value of infrastructure and a 29% increase in public sector new work other than housing and infrastructure.
Scottish Building Federation Managing Director Vaughan Hart said, “It is obviously good news that output from the Scottish construction sector has hit a new high over the past year. However, as we have pointed out before, employment within the industry remains a long way below pre-recession levels and the industry is facing increasingly critical skills shortages across many trades.
“Our members also continue to advise us that operating margins remain extremely tight. Against the backdrop of these record output figures, our absolute priority must be to attract more people back into the industry, to rebuild skills and capacity and put the industry’s recovery on a sustainable long-term footing.”
