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The downturn in Britain's construction industry eased in July as commercial building and housebuilding weakened less sharply and builders turned the most optimistic since before the Iran war started, a survey by S&P Global showed.
The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 44.7 in July, jumping from 38.4 in June to well above the 40.0 median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.
The downturn in Britain's construction industry eased in July as commercial building and housebuilding weakened less sharply and builders turned the most optimistic since before the Iran war started, a survey by S&P Global showed.
The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 44.7 in July, jumping from 38.4 in June to well above the 40.0 median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.
"July data suggests that the performance of the UK construction sector has started to stabilise after a sharp downturn throughout the second quarter of 2026," said Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The commercial activity index was the highest in four months, rising to 46.8 in July from 41.5 in June
Housebuilding declined at the slowest pace since October 2025
While civil engineering showed the steepest pace of decline among the PMI's main sub-categories, the downturn eased from the more than six-year low in June
S&P's gauge of new orders was the highest since September 2025, signalling a slower decline in demand
Employment fell for the 19th month in a row, though at the slowest pace since February, before the Iran war began
Subcontractor availability grew at the fastest pace since April 2025
A gauge of input costs eased to 69.8 from 77.9, slowing for the second straight month after May's near four-year high of 83.5
Construction firms turned the most upbeat about the coming 12 months since February
The composite PMI, which includes services and manufacturing firms, rose to 51.6 from 48.4, the highest in five months
-Reuters
The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 44.7 in July, jumping from 38.4 in June to well above the 40.0 median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.
The downturn in Britain's construction industry eased in July as commercial building and housebuilding weakened less sharply and builders turned the most optimistic since before the Iran war started, a survey by S&P Global showed.
The S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 44.7 in July, jumping from 38.4 in June to well above the 40.0 median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. The 50-mark separates growth from contraction.
"July data suggests that the performance of the UK construction sector has started to stabilise after a sharp downturn throughout the second quarter of 2026," said Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The commercial activity index was the highest in four months, rising to 46.8 in July from 41.5 in June
Housebuilding declined at the slowest pace since October 2025
While civil engineering showed the steepest pace of decline among the PMI's main sub-categories, the downturn eased from the more than six-year low in June
S&P's gauge of new orders was the highest since September 2025, signalling a slower decline in demand
Employment fell for the 19th month in a row, though at the slowest pace since February, before the Iran war began
Subcontractor availability grew at the fastest pace since April 2025
A gauge of input costs eased to 69.8 from 77.9, slowing for the second straight month after May's near four-year high of 83.5
Construction firms turned the most upbeat about the coming 12 months since February
The composite PMI, which includes services and manufacturing firms, rose to 51.6 from 48.4, the highest in five months
-Reuters
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Three in five Americans favour stronger oversight of social media companies, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds A bipartisan majority of Americans support more government rules for how social media companies conduct business, including a requirement of age-verification tools to keep younger children off social media, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll, which was conducted over the six days ending August 3, comes as companies like Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube face mounting legal pressure over their treatment of young users. A trial is expected to begin on Wednesday over allegations by state prosecutors that Meta designed its products to addict young users. Meta, which denies the allegations, says it could face up to $1.4 trillion in penalties if the states prevail. A New Mexico state court on Thursday separately ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and change how its platforms function for young users, after finding the company is to blame for harming children's wellbeing. Tech companies are also under increasing scrutiny by lawmakers across the U.S. for their effect on youth. More than a dozen states have passed laws regulating minors' social media access, saying it is needed to bolster their safety online. NetChoice, a trade group backed by social media giants such as Meta, TikTok and Snap, has sued to stop laws requiring apps verify the ages of their users. It argues such laws violate free speech protections. Some 61% of poll respondents - including 71% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans - said social media companies need firmer oversight. Support among independents was lower as many of them said they were unsure where they stood. The poll also found 66% support laws that would require social media companies use age-verification tools to keep children under age 16 from accessing their platforms. Support was highest among Republicans, with 74% backing the idea, compared to 69% of Democrats. 'SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO IT' James Bosserdet, a 60-year-old mechanical engineer from Tennessee who voted for Republican President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, said he mostly wants the U.S. government to have a smaller role in Americans' lives, but that cracking down on social media companies is an exception. "Somebody's got to do it," he said, referring to setting restrictions on social media for kids. "Is it the government's job? I don't want it to be. I think maybe it should be." The U.S. Congress has so far not passed legislation aimed at protecting kids on social media. An overwhelming majority of Americans - 85% - think social media can be addictive for children, and a similar share think its use can be harmful for their mental health, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Washington, D.C., resident Christopher Chen, 34, said he thinks social media companies have an outsized influence on teens, adding that the tech firms have too much control over what their users see on their apps. "I don't know what the regulation looks like, but something needs to be done by the government to protect the people," said Chen, who voted for Trump's 2024 Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. Paula Dick, 73, said social media companies could do a better job keeping kids away from inappropriate content, adding that there should be more government oversight of the apps they use. Dick said she doesn't allow her grandchildren to use YouTube when she watches them, but they have found ways to access it anyway. Dick, who lives in Kansas, voted for Trump in 2024. "They have workarounds to get around blocks that their parents have put on their phones," she said. "They're pretty intelligent when it comes to that." USERS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA But Americans also say they like social media a lot, with 70% saying their time spent on the platforms is fun, while only 35% say it stressed them out. People are split on whether they are overdoing it, with 52% saying they spend too much time every day on social media, and 43% saying that's not the case. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 4,505 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points in either direction. -Reuters
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