Press Release 23/09/2009

CONSTRUCTION INDEX (ICC) 2nd QUARTER 2009

The construction sector in the Basque Country fell by 9.7% in the second quarter of 2009

Building was down by 13.5%, while Civil Works dropped by 2.7%

Construction in the Basque Country registered a year-on-year nominal downturn of 9.7% in the second quarter of 2009, in homogeneous terms of the working calendar, according to EUSTAT data.

Once corrected for seasonal factors, the construction sector fell by 1.7% in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2009.

The drop in the construction sector, in the second quarter of 2009, was mainly due to the negative performance of the Building sub-sector, which registered a year-on-year downturn of 13.5%, compared to a 2.7% fall posted by Civil Works.

In quarter-on-quarter terms, if the activity of the sector in the second quarter of 2009 is compared to the previous quarter, both Building and Civil Works sub-sectors performed negatively, by 1.4% in the case of Civil Works and 1.9% in the case of the Building sub-sector.

In the first quarter of 2009, employment in the construction sector registered a downturn of 1.7% compared to the first quarter of 2009.



For further information:

Basque Statistics Office C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Tlf:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es Contact: Gerardo Pérez Aja T el:+34-945-01 75 06 F ax:+34-945-01 75 01 Online press releases: www.eustat.es Databank: www.eustat.eus/bancopx/english/indice.aspx