"Nonetheless, the construction industry has been able to keep building through the various lockdowns, and the resilience of the sector is a rare positive in comparison to other sectors.
"Positively, employee numbers have also risen slightly in December, after a sustained drop in numbers.
"With various Coronavirus vaccines now being rolled out, there is a real hope among the industry that whilst we may have begun 2021 in a national lockdown, we are optimistic it can become a year of recovery, as the workforce get back out to work in greater numbers."