Press Release 17/05/2018

CONSTRUCTION STATISTICS. 2016

The turnover figure for Construction in the Basque Country fell by 1.8% in 2016

Construction companies with fewer than 20 employees employed 75.4% of the number of people employed in the sector

The net turnover figure for companies in the construction sector contracted by 1.8% in 2016 compared with the previous year, according to Eustat data. By province, only Álava registered an increase in turnover in 2016, of 1%, whereas in Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia there was a fall of 1.5% and 2.7%, respectively.

In 2016 the figures for the total number of people employed in construction were practically the same as those of the previous year, registering 300 fewer jobs, 0.5% less in relative terms. The provincial performance was heterogeneous. Thus, while employment rose in Álava (1.5%) and remained the same in Gipuzkoa (-0.1%), in Bizkaia the year-on-year balance concluded with 400 fewer jobs (-1.3%).

At the same time, personnel costs reduced by 1.4% in the Basque Country, which was reflected in both Gipuzkoa (-1.3%) and Bizkaia (-1.8%), although they were up 0.4% in Álava.

An analysis by establishment size shows that companies with up to 19 employees accounted for 75.4% of the total number of people employed in construction, and generated 68.9% of the total turnover. Companies with 20 to 49 employed individuals accounted for 12.7% of jobs, and 15% of the total turnover. The next stratum - companies with 50 to 99 employees - accounted for 7.4% of turnover with 4.8% of jobs. Finally, companies with 100 or more employees generated 8.6% of total turnover and provided employment to 7% of people in work.

If we analyse the distribution of employed individuals and the generation of value added at factor cost according to the different activity groups within construction, it is worth highlighting the productivity of Property Development that, representing only 4.5% of the total number of jobs, generated 14.3% of the total gross value added for the construction sector, becoming the activity group with the highest productivity.

Among the remaining activity groups with greatest weight in employment, the following groups stand out: Electrical Installations, Plumbing and Other Installations, with 31.4% of jobs and 25.7% of value added of the sector total; activities relating to Finishing Works, which absorbed 23.5% of jobs and 14.6% value added; and Building Construction with 18.5% of value added and 22.4% of the total number of jobs.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel: 945 01 75 62