After months of poor performance, the construction sector grew by 0.4% driven by work in the private new housing subsector, which was up by 3.4%, as well as more repair projects, an early sign that the government’s reform of planning and a slight easing in mortgage costs could be having an impact.

The services sector grew by 0.1%, helped by a rise in 1.2% rise in the retail trade, while professional, scientific and technical activities was the largest positive contributor with growth of 1.6% in August 2024.