Economy rebounds from start of year

The construction sector expanded in February at its fastest pace since June 2010, according to the Markit survey, a leading indicator.

After rebounding in January, new orders rose strongly in February. The survey showed that  businesses remained confident about their outlook.

This follows news yesterday that the manufacturing sector had maintained its strong start to 2011. The February survey of manufacturing purchasing managers showed that January’s strong growth was broadly maintained. There was a record increase in manufacturing employment.