Australia AiG Performance of Construction Index dropped -6.8 to 48.7 in July, recording the first contraction since September 2020. Looking at some details, activity dropped -14.4 to 40.4. Employment rose 2.5 to 60.8. New orders dropped -6.6 to 49.5. Supplier deliveries dropped -7.6 to 43.3. Input prices dropped -1.1 to 97.2. Selling prices dropped -4.0 to 81.2. Average wages rose 6.7 to 77.1.
Ai Group Head of Policy, Peter Burn, said: “With Australia’s two largest states affected by COVID-19 outbreaks and associated restrictions, the construction industry slipped into contraction in July after a robust nine-month expansion. The negative national result masked continued growth outside of NSW and Victoria and further expansions in both house building and commercial construction…
“The outlook over the next couple of months will depend heavily on the paths of the COVID-19 outbreaks and the extent of restrictions.”
