Almost half of new home building is now funded from the public purse, according to new figures, highlighting the public sector’s growing importance for many recruiters.

Data from the National House Building Council showed that the public sector was responsible for about 45% of home starts over the three months to the end of February. This compares with just a fifth of new homes that were funded by the public sector in the  last few months of 2007.

Andrew Bredin, managing director of Hays Construction & Property, told Recruiter: “It is becoming increasingly clear that the public sector is going to play a huge role supporting construction employment in the downturn.

“Naturally, it is a strong focus for our business and we are benefiting from previous experience and strong contacts. However, the question remains how sustainable the government spending is and how agile the private sector will prove to be in responding to the recovery.”