Question of the Month September 2009

In September we asked survey respondents when they thought the European construction sector would start to grow again. Almost 70% said it would be next year, although a few optimists - 4% of respondents - said they thought the market would be on its way back up some time this year.

The most popular view was that the market would start to improve in the second half of next year. However, 16% of respondents thought it would be the first half of 2011, and a further 7% said the recovery was some two years away. Another group of 4% said we would have to wait even longer, predicting a return to growth some time after 2011.