"The UK economy is still facing huge challenges"
- John Longworth, director general at the British Chambers of Commerce
U.K. construction activity jumped to a 21-month high in March, reinforcing hopes that the economy has not slipped back into recession.
The purchasing managers index for the industry rose to 56.7 in March from 54.3 in February, showed a survey by Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
"The good weather appears to have led to a surge in demand for construction projects in March, adding to the recent flow of good news which suggests the economy will have skirted a recession," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.
"The particularly encouraging news is that the improvement in confidence is generating more jobs, with employment rising modestly."
"The UK economy is still facing huge challenges and the recovery is much too slow. The UK has the potential to recover, but to achieve that the Government has to set businesses free to grow," said John Longworth, director general at the British Chambers of Commerce.
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