Construction - April 2008

 
In April 2008 seasonally adjusted total construction output at constant prices was down by 0.1%, compared with the previous month. In comparison to April 2007, output at constant prices grew by 2.0%. The planning and building control authorities granted 10 362 building permits, i.e. by 16.2% more year-on-year. Approximate value of permitted constructions decreased by 4.2% year-on-year and reached CZK 31.4 billion.
Seasonally adjusted total construction output at constant prices fell by 0.1% month-on-month. The trend increased by 0.2% month-on-month (see Table 3).
      
         Total construction output at constant prices increased by 2.0% year-on-year, working days adjusted (WDA) total output dropped by 0.8% (April 2008 had two working days more). Like in the previous months, civil engineering was the contributor to the year-on-year growth of construction output, in the area of new construction, reconstruction and modernisation, and repair and maintenance as well. Building construction output fell by 0.2% in comparison to April 2007.
      
Contracted construction work carried out by construction enterprises with 20+ employees increased by 1.6% year-on-year at constant prices. New construction, reconstruction and modernisation recorded a 1.3% increase (contribution 1.2 percentage points), of which building construction fell by 0.2% (contribution -0.1 p.p.) and civil engineering rose by 4.4% (contribution 1.3 p.p.). Construction work abroad recorded a 3.0% increase (contribution 0.1 p.p.). Increases were registered for repair and maintenance (by 2.9%, contribution 0.3 p.p.) and other work (by 2.0%, contribution 0.01 p.p.).
 
The number of employees in construction enterprises with 20+ employees dropped by 0.5% ^*) against April 2007. The average monthly nominal wage of employees increased by 11.3% year-on-year and reached CZK 23 039 (real wage increased by 4.2%). The average hourly wage grew by 1.7% year-on-year and stood at CZK 143. Labour productivity per employee increased by 2.0% and labour productivity per hour worked fell by 6.8%.
       
The planning and building control authorities granted 10 362 building permits in April 2008 (of which 5 943 for new constructions and 4 419 for renewals and enhancements). Building permits granted grew by 16.2% year-on-year.
 
Approximate value of constructions permitted in April 2008 decreased by 4.2% in comparison to April 2007 and reached CZK 31.4 billion. New construction is valued at CZK 23.2 billion (down by 5.4%, contribution -4.1 p.p.). Renewals and enhancements will make available constructions worth CZK 8.2 billion (down by 0.4%, contribution -0.1 p.p.).
Compared to April 2007, approximate value of new construction grew in all types of constructions, except non-residential buildings (down by 33.3%, contribution -11.4 p.p.). This fall was mainly due to the high comparative basis of April 2007. Approximate value grew in new environmental constructions (up by 34.4%, contribution 1.7 p.p.), other constructions (up by 31.7%, contribution 4.6 p.p.) and residential buildings (up by 4.8%, contribution 1.0 p.p.).
Total decrease in approximate value of renewals and enhancements was affected by other constructions.
 
The planning and building control authorities permitted the construction of 3 571dwellings, which was by 402 dwellings more (+12.7%) than in April 2007. Out of that, 3 027dwellings (up by 294 dwellings) will be obtained by new construction and 544 dwellings (up by 108 dwellings) by renewals and enhancements. Approximate value of newly permitted dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings was CZK 7.7 billion. The planning and building control authorities permitted the construction of buildings with a floor space of 747.4 thousand m ² (+8.8%), of which floor space of residential buildings increased by 9.9% (contribution 5.6 p.p.) and of non-residential buildings grew by 7.4% (contribution 3.2 p.p.). The average floor space of a newly constructed dwelling was 131.9 m ² and the approximate value was CZK 18.1 thousand per m ². 
According to Eurostat News Release, WDA construction output in the EU27 was down by 0.1% year-on-year in March 2008, of which building construction fell by 0.8% and civil engineering grew by 4.2%. Among the EU member states for which data were available, the highest increases were observed in Romania (+32.5%), Poland (+17.5%) and Slovakia (+11.5%). The highest decrease was registered in Spain (‑10.1%). Germany reported a fall of 5.0%.
 

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Note
Contact:                                Vladimir Zikmund, phone (+420) 274054252, e-mail: vladimir.zikmund@csu.gov.cz
Data source:                        CZSO direct survey in enterprises with 20+ employees and in planning and building control authorities
End of data collection:       5 June 2008
End of data processing:    10 June 2008
Related publications:         /1-ep-8
8201-08 Construction in the Czech Republic
8202-08 Building Notices Received and Building Permits Granted
 
The data in Table 1 for February and March 2008 are final; data for April 2008 are preliminary and will be updated with the data release for July 2008.
The data in Table 2 are final.

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*) Employment indicators are observed in construction enterprises with 20+ employees. The average registered number of employees does not include agency workers.