2023-04-25 22:00:00
The economic situation remained stable in 2022. Declining sales in the residential construction sector – stagnation in office buildings.
According to the Austrian precast concrete industry (VÖB), the previous year was stable despite the difficult economic situation. 84 percent of the companies surveyed reported constant or increasing sales in the second half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. For a third of those surveyed, the increasing sales are due to price increases due to increased energy and raw material prices.
Strongest economic downturn in residential construction
The VÖB members see the strongest economic downturn in the housing sector. Here, 58 percent of companies complain regarding declining sales. A stagnating economic situation is also making itself felt in office construction, caused by continued lower occupancy of office space compared to the pre-Corona period. On the other hand, there is a relatively stable economic situation in industrial construction. There, 67 percent of the companies reported constant or increasing sales. It is similar in civil engineering with 46 percent. “In contrast to residential construction, companies and the state continue to make significant investments in industrial and civil engineering, which is currently leading to a satisfactory order situation,” explains VÖB President Franz Josef Eder.
Precast concrete industry cautiously optimistic for the rest of 2023
Companies in the domestic precast concrete industry are cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the 2023 financial year. More than half of them (58 percent) assume that the first half of 2023 will be more or less satisfactory, around 55 percent expect sales to increase or remain the same. At the same time, a third (33 percent) forecast falling sales in their business. “These positive sales forecasts are primarily due to new orders, but also to high inflation,” explains Eder.
Almost three-quarters (71 percent) of companies plan to retain or even increase their current workforce. At the same time, the industry continues to suffer from a shortage of skilled workers: 50 percent of companies complain regarding too few interested parties and too many vacancies. More than half of the companies surveyed are therefore taking employer branding measures.
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