According to the Economic and Steel Market Outlook 2021-2022/Q3 2021 Report from the Economic Committee of the European Steel Association, in the first quarter this year construction activities in the EU improved quarter on quarter. It said “Construction activity fell in full year 2020 by 4.2%, after a growth of 3.3% in 2019. The first quarter of 2021 figure reflects the continued quarter-on-quarter improvement in the construction activity and more generally the restart in economic activity all across that has eventually benefited the construction sector, whose cycle usually reacts more slowly to the general economic cycle. Construction output grew in France, Italy and Austria, while it fell in most other European countries, including Germany and Spain.”According to the EUROFER report “The EU construction confidence indicator took a sharp hit in March 2020, falling to levels last seen in 2015. Confidence, however, has gradually been improving since the third quarter, albeit remaining below 2018 levels. Residential construction was impacted by stoppages caused by lockdown measures, and in 2021-2022 conditions will remain only marginally supportive due to only slightly improvements in economic conditions and incomes. There is already a widespread dichotomy between the upper-segment housing market, which is boosted by higher demand of better homes due to tele-working, and the lower-income segment. Non-residential construction has paid the highest toll to the pandemic-related lockdown, and vacancy rates are increasing, a trend that may continue if tele working remains common in the post-pandemic scenario.”EUROFER said it expects construction output in the EU to rebound by 5.5 percent in 2021 and by 4.5 percent in 2022.Civil engineering is expected to be an important growth area for the construction sector as governments invest in infrastructure as a tool to boost economic performance. This segment will be supported by EU-wide public policies whose effects will be seen only to a limited extent during 2021.
According to the Economic and Steel Market Outlook 2021-2022/Q3 2021 Report from the Economic Committee of the European Steel Association, in the first quarter this year construction activities in the EU improved quarter on quarter. It said “Construction activity fell in full year 2020 by 4.2%, after a growth of 3.3% in 2019. The first quarter of 2021 figure reflects the continued quarter-on-quarter improvement in the construction activity and more generally the restart in economic activity all across that has eventually benefited the construction sector, whose cycle usually reacts more slowly to the general economic cycle. Construction output grew in France, Italy and Austria, while it fell in most other European countries, including Germany and Spain.”According to the EUROFER report “The EU construction confidence indicator took a sharp hit in March 2020, falling to levels last seen in 2015. Confidence, however, has gradually been improving since the third quarter, albeit remaining below 2018 levels. Residential construction was impacted by stoppages caused by lockdown measures, and in 2021-2022 conditions will remain only marginally supportive due to only slightly improvements in economic conditions and incomes. There is already a widespread dichotomy between the upper-segment housing market, which is boosted by higher demand of better homes due to tele-working, and the lower-income segment. Non-residential construction has paid the highest toll to the pandemic-related lockdown, and vacancy rates are increasing, a trend that may continue if tele working remains common in the post-pandemic scenario.”EUROFER said it expects construction output in the EU to rebound by 5.5 percent in 2021 and by 4.5 percent in 2022.Civil engineering is expected to be an important growth area for the construction sector as governments invest in infrastructure as a tool to boost economic performance. This segment will be supported by EU-wide public policies whose effects will be seen only to a limited extent during 2021.
