23 January 2014
2014- n° 21The economic climate stays unfavorable in the building industry in January 2014 Monthly survey of building - January 2014
According to the business managers surveyed in January 2014, the situation stays unfavorable in the building industry: the composite indicator loosed one point and stays below its long-term average. The turning-point indicator has gone into the unfavorable zone.
According to the business managers surveyed in January 2014, the situation stays unfavorable in the building industry: the composite indicator loosed one point and stays below its long-term average. The turning-point indicator has gone into the unfavorable zone.
graphiqueClimate – Composite indicator
graphiqueTurningPoint – Turning-point indicator
- Lecture: close to 1 (respectively -1), it indicates a favorable climate (respectively unfavorable).
tableauTableau1 – Building industry economic outlook
| Mean* | Oct. 13 | Nov. 13 | Dec. 13 | Jan. 14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite indicator | 100 | 94 | 94 | 94 | 93 |
| Past activity | –3 | –14 | –9 | –17 | –20 |
| Expected activity | –5 | –17 | –14 | –18 | –19 |
| Gen. business outlook | –18 | –29 | –33 | ||
| Past employment | –3 | –14 | –17 | –15 | –18 |
| Expected employment | –3 | –9 | –17 | –17 | –21 |
| Opinion on order books | –20 | –47 | –48 | –49 | –48 |
| Order books (in month) | 5,3 | 7,0 | 6,8 | 6,2 | 6,2 |
| Productive capacity utilisation rate | 88,9 | 85,9 | 85,7 | 86,7 | 86,9 |
| Obstacles to production increase (in %) | 33 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 27 |
| - Because of workforce shortage (in %) | 15,5 | 4,5 | 3,9 | 2,9 | 3,1 |
| Recruiting problems (in %) | 59 | 46 | 46 | ||
| Expected prices | –13 | –29 | –28 | –30 | –35 |
| Cash-flow position | –9 | –27 | –13 | ||
| Repayment period | 28 | 43 | 39 |
- * Mean since September 1993.
- Source: French business survey in the building industry - Insee
Activity remains deteriorated
Business managers consider that their activity is still deteriorated in the recent period. They stay pessimistic about their activity in the few next months.
The general business outlook, which expresses the business manager’s opinions about the general trend in the sector, is sharply below its long term average.
graphiqueActivity – Activity tendency in the building industry
Decreasing employment
Employment in the building industry is grim: more business managers than in December indicate job losses for the next few months. The balances of opinion corresponding to past employment and expected employment stay significantly below their long-term average.
graphiqueWorkforce – Workforce size tendency in the building industry
Order books are still considered lower than normal
In January, business managers still consider their order books lower than normal.
graphiqueOrderBooks – Order books
Productive capacity underused again
The productive capacity utilization rate has stabilized and stays below its long-term average. At the same time, more than one business manager out of four declares having difficulties increasing his activity.
Approximately, one building firm out of two continues to have difficulties in recruiting labor force; this ratio is again under its long-term average.
graphiquePcur – Productive capacity utilization rate
Prices not very dynamic
In January, more business managers than in December indicate price downturns. The corresponding balance of opinion remains sharply inferior to its long-term average.
According to business leaders, the cash-flow position of the overall sector is less deteriorated than the previous quarter and the repayment period is reduced slightly.
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