Barclays research finds young people are responsible for rising figures

Construction start-up businesses have risen by a third and young people are leading the way, according to new research from Barclays

Start-up volumes for construction in the first half of the year were 28% higher than the same period last year, with 40,900 business starting up compared with 32,000.

The report found a 15% rise in the number of business start-ups in the under-25s, compared with the other age groups which have grown by just 6%.

Barclays said construction was one of the key areas for this age group.

Estimates show under 25s started 20,700 businesses in the first half of 2007 compared to 18,000 for the same period last year. This marks the highest level since Barclays started recording figures in 2003.