In the first quarter, employment in the construction sector declined by 5.9 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter last year, the National Statistics Office said today.
Residential permit data for the period under review showed an annual drop of 27.3 per cent. This was reflected in declines of both one-dwelling and two and more dwelling residential permits of 12.5 and 29.9 per cent respectively.
Employment in construction activities declined by 5.9 per cent to 78.8 points in the first quarter. Employment over the four quarters has consistently been declining, with the exception of a slight increase in employment in the second quarter last year.
Employment in the construction of buildings, civil engineering and in specialised construction activities declined by 8.2, 12.0 and 2.0 per cent respectively.
A year-on-year comparison for unadjusted hours worked indicates a decline of 7.3 per cent. Specialised construction activities were the least affected, with a decline of 4.5 per cent, while the largest decline was registered in civil engineering. The latter dropped from 136.4 points in the first quarter of 2012 to 120.1 points in the first quarter this year.
In line with other indicators, wages and salaries decreased by 7.0 per cent, with the most notable decline registered in civil engineering (-12.5 per cent). Furthermore, wages and salaries expended in the construction of buildings and specialised construction activities declined by 8.0 and 4.1 per cent respectively.