The Northern Ireland construction sector has enjoyed a bumper 12 months as a thirst for housing keeps builders busy.
Latest data from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency has shown a 7.6% jump in construction output, driven by a hefty increase work in the homebuilding sector.
The figures refer only to construction work carried out within Northern Ireland and don’t include work carried out by local companies outside these shores.
It chimes with anecdotal evidence from the housing market over the last few years that demand for new housing was high.
The boom in construction has also helped drive broader economic growth here.
The latest Northern Ireland Composite Index climbed by 1.5% in the first three months of the year compared the same period a year ago.
While better than expected, Northern Ireland continues to lag behind the UK average which recorded an increase of 1.6% over the year.
The data marks the end of a positive week for economic data in Northern Ireland with latest labour market figures showing a record high number of people in employment here.
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