Australia AiG Performance of Construction Index dropped -0.9 to 45.3 in July. Activity dropped -3.5 to 42.7. Employment rose 2.2 to 53.0. New orders dropped -2.7 to 43.1. Supplier deliveries rose 3.2 to 42.2. Input prices dropped -2.2 to 93.8. Selling prices rose 4.4 to 87.1.
HIA Economist, Thomas Devitt, said: “Confidence in the housing sector has been adversely impacted by rising rates which will compound the rise in the cost of construction. This has not yet materialised in slowing sales or approvals of new homes and there is still a large volume of building work in the pipeline to complete. Recent declines in confidence, as shown in this month’s Australian PCI®, reflect an anticipation on the part of builders of less new work entering the pipeline in coming months as the RBA’s current tightening cycle will, inevitably, bring an end to the boom.
