Construction - January 2012

Construction output and employment dropped year-on-year

In January 2012 the construction output fell by 5.3%, year-on-year (y-o-y), in real terms. The planning and building control authorities granted by 6.2% more building permits, y-o-y, and the approximate value of permitted constructions increased by 1.5%, y-o-y. The number of started dwellings was up by 10.2%, y-o-y, and the number of completed dwellings jumped up by 27.2%, y-o-y.

In January 2012 the construction output decreased by 5.3%, y-o-y, in real terms; if seasonally adjusted it was lower by 6.6%. January 2012 was by one working day longer compared to the same month of the previous year. The seasonally adjusted construction output in January 2012 was by 20.1% down, m-o-m. This drop month-on-month was affected by the extraordinary volume of invoiced construction production in December 2011 when a substantial month-on-month increase was caused by coincidence of multiple factors (see the News Release for December 2011). The production in building construction decreased by 3.2% (contribution -2.5 percentage points (p.p.)), y-o-y, and the production of civil engineering construction dropped by 12.7% (contribution -2.8 p.p.), y-o-y.
In January 2012 the construction output plummeted by 35.7% compared to the same period of 2008, the year of boom.

The average registered number of employees*) in construction enterprises with 50+ employees fell by 5.5%, y-o-y, in January 2012. Their average monthly nominal wage increased by 6.2%, y -o-y, and reached CZK 26 481.

In January 2012 the number of building permits granted increased by 6.2%, y-o-y; the planning and building control authorities granted 6 761 building permits. The approximate value of the permitted constructions attained CZK 23.9 billion and increased by 1.5% compared to the same period of 2011.

The number of dwellings started in January 2012 rose by 10.2%, y-o-y, and attained 2 446 dwellings. The number of dwellings started in multi-dwelling buildings soared by 78.6% and in family houses it plummeted by 27.6%, year-on-year.

The number of completed dwellings rose by 27.2%, y-o-y, in January 2012 and was 2 577 dwellings. The number of completed dwellings in family houses increased by 0.6%. The number of completed dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings soared by 165.1%. This rapid increase was in part affected by the low comparison basis of January 2011.

According to Eurostat the WDA (working days adjusted) construction output in the EU27 increased by 7.4%, y-o-y, in December 2011. Building construction rose by 5.7% and civil engineering construction increased by 13.6%. Eurostat shall release the data for January 2012 on 19 March 2012 (at 11:00 a.m.).


Methodological Notes:
Responsible head at the CZSO: Radek Matějka, phone: (+42 0) 274052894, e-mail: radek.matejka@czso.cz
Contact person: Petra Cuřínová, phone: (+420) 274054199, e-mail: petra.curinova@czso.cz
Method of data acquisition: the CZSO direct surveys of Stav 1-12 and Stav 2-12
End of data collection: 7 March 2012
Specific methodological notes: *)The registered number of employees indicator does not include: persons working under various contracts for work, working owners of enterprises and cooperating household members, who do not have an employment contract. Data on the registered number of employees in construction also exclude agency workers, who have an employment contract, however, in other activity than construction.
Following publications: time series in Construction /csu/czso/sta_cr , and Housing Construction, Building Permits, and Construction Orders /csu/czso/bvz_cr
Next News Release will be published on: 6 April 2012
Data for respective months of the year 2011 have been revised.

Published: 13.03.2012
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.