Construction - March 2005

Seasonally adjusted construction output at constant prices was 2.3% down month-on-month . The trend decreased by 0.7 % (see Table 3).





At constant prices, total construction output decreased by 16.0% year-on-year ,

The main reason for the reported drop in construction output included several facts that acted at the same time:

– the high reference basis of March 2004 when the year-on-year growth (+21.4%) was partially affected by the prepared but not yet effective transfer of construction work to the category of the basic VAT rate (except for housing construction); most of the construction enterprises thus adjusted their invoicing so that they could make use of last months of 5% taxation and meet the terms and conditions of the contracts they had signed before;

– unfavourable weather (the average temperature in March was 1.3° C, i.e. 1.4° C down on March 2004) and lower working days availability (1 less working day in March 2005 than in March 2004); in March 2005) – manual workers thus worked 20 less hours on average in March 2005 than in March 2004 (-12.8 %).

Without these influences, the total construction output would have risen mildly (+0.4% according to model calculations of the CZSO).

The number of employees in construction enterprises with 20+ employed people rose by 3.7%. The average monthly wage of employees increased by 4.7% year-on-year to reach CZK 17 707, while the real wage increased by 3.2%. The average hourly wage increased by 15.9% and amounted to CZK 124. Labour productivity per employee decreased by 18.7 % and per hour worked by 9.7 %.


The planning and building control authorities granted 10 505 building permits in March 2005 (of which 5 178 for new construction and 5 327 for renewals and enhancements). The approximate value of constructions permitted in March was CZK 29.1 billion (of which new constructions accounted for CZK 16.4 billion and renewals and enhancements for CZK 12.7 billion). The high approximate value of constructions permitted in March resulted from permits granted for building rather a large number of family and multi-dwelling houses.

The planning and building control authorities permitted 3 893 dwellings to be constructed (an increase of 774 dwellings year-on-year) of which 3 067 dwellings in new construction (an increase of 772). The number of new dwellings to be obtained by renewals and enhancements is 826 (an increase of 2). The approximate value of newly permitted dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings reached CZK 7.6 billion, the approximate value per dwelling from new construction being CZK 2.2 million and from renewals and enhancements CZK 1.2 million.

---

Note
Contact: Petra Cuřínová, phone (+420) 2740524199, e-mail: curinova@gw.czso.cz
Data source: CZSO direct survey in enterprises; planning and building control authorities
End of data collection: 4 April 2005
End of data processing: 5 April 2005
Related publications: /1-ep-8
8201-03 Construction
8202-03 Building Permits Granted
The December data in Table 1 are final; the data for January and February are preliminary and will be updated when data for April are released.
The data in Table 2 are final.