Construction Output up 3.2% In April

The Construction Output Index rose by 3.2% in April, up 4.4 percentage points month-on-month.

According to the National Statistical Institute’s Production, Employment, Compensation in Construction Index, Construction output increased by 3.2% in April 2021. The index was 3.1% below April 2019.

The figures for employment and compensation showed year-on-year changes of 3.0% and 14.7%. In the previous month, the increases were 0.5% and 6.7%, respectively.

Regarding the construction output index, the figure went from a contraction of -1.2% in March to a growth of 3.2% in April. The change was largely due to a base effect since the same month last year was affected by the pandemic, with the index standing at 92.4.

By sector, the INE reported that Building Construction grew 1.2%, having fallen by 2.3% in March. Civil Engineering increased 5.7 percentage points, up 6.2%.

The employment and wage indices posted year-on-year growth rates of 3.0% and 14.7% in April (vs 0.5% and 6.7% during the previous month). Compared with March, the employment index registered a nil change (-2.5% in April 2020), while the compensation index decreased by 1.7% (-8.5% change in the same period of 2020).

Translation: Richard D. K. Turner