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WHEN THE building boom reached its peak less than two years ago, one in six of the labour force worked in the construction industry. Since then, the numbers employed in the sector have fallen sharply and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has warned that a further 100,000 may lose their jobs unless a decline in public investment is quickly reversed.

The Government, in its emergency budget last April, again cut the public capital programme and this year capital spending is likely to be one fifth lower than in 2008. CIF director general, Tom Parlon, presenting his mid-year review, said that as house building and commercial property projects remain stalled, the Government’s infrastructure programme offers the construction industry its only hope.