The latest figures were significantly worse than economists had expected, as firms partly blamed caution ahead of the autumn Budget.

The UK’s construction sector declined at its fastest rate since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last month as firms were hit by pre-Budget caution, according to new figures.

The latest S&P Global UK construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a reading of 39.4 in November, falling from 44.1 in October.

This marked the lowest level since May 2020 in the face of reports of “challenging” market conditions.

This meant the score remained below the neutral 50-point threshold, indicating that activity has contracted for the 11th month in a row.

It was significantly worse than economists had expected, having predicted a reading of 44.4 for the mon

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