A fall in the UK's construction output reflects uncertainty ahead of the EU referendum, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Recent Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures revealed a 0.3% fall in output during February, with new work and repair falling 0.2% and maintenance reporting a 0.5% decline.

Sarah McMonagle, Head of External Affairs at the FMB, said uncertainty around the EU referendum outcome caused construction output to fall for the second month in a row.


"Construction is an industry that is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in confidence and the forthcoming referendum seems to be having a negative impact on business owners and consumers alike," she said.

"Much in the same way as the Scottish independence vote weighed on industry confidence back in September 2014, hesitance over investment will likely prevail until we know the result on 23rd June.

"This isn't a precipitous drop, but after the prolonged downturn experienced by our sector following the financial crisis, these results are disappointing. We can only hope that this contraction is a blip rather than a prolonged decrease in construction output."

(LM)