Orders in the fourth quarter fell by 3% compared with the previous quarter, with decreases in public housing and private commercial orders more than offsetting increases in private housing, infrastructure and private industrial orders.
The top performing sectors in 2006 were public housing and private commercial orders, which rose by 33% and 35% respectively over 2005 figures.
Private housing orders also increased, but only by 2%, despite significant pick-up towards the end of the year. Orders in the fourth quarter increased by 13% compared with the previous quarter, and by 11% compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
