Eurozone construction up slightly in month

Brussels -- Construction output grew slightly in May in the 27 countries of the eurozone, a Eurostat report issued Thursday said.

Construction gained significantly in Britain, up 3.4 percent; and Spain and Romania, each up 2.9 percent. The largest declines were noted in Portugal, down 9 percent; Slovakia, down 5.1 percent; and the Netherlands, down 1.9 percent, the report said.

Overall, construction gained 0.3 percent in the region, Eurostat reported.

Compared with May 2007, construction gained 0.7 percent, although construction fell 1.1 percent from a year ago in the euro countries, which include Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.