Skip to content

Residential construction: Tense situation in the East German construction industry

High prices for building materials have long been a problem for construction companies in the East. Now the crisis in residential construction is particularly depressing the mood.

Shells for residential buildings are illuminated at dusk. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
Shells for residential buildings are illuminated at dusk. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Real estate - Residential construction: Tense situation in the East German construction industry

The eastern German construction industry is facing a tense outlook for 2024 due to the crisis in residential construction. The significant rise in interest rates and the still high construction prices have caused both incoming orders and the number of building permits to shrink, said Robert Momberg, Managing Director of the Construction Industry Association East. "This does not bode well for residential construction, where the crisis has fully arrived." In other areas such as civil engineering or commercial construction, the situation is still somewhat better.

Incoming orders in residential construction in eastern Germany fell by 27.6 percent in the first ten months. Even more cause for concern, however, were the building permits, which fell by as much as 38 percent compared to the same period last year. "What is not approved today will not be built in two years' time," said Momberg. In this respect, the building permits are a gloomy outlook for the future.

Looking at all sectors, the situation in eastern German construction is "ambivalent", said Momberg. "The sales figures are not that bad." Revenue increased by 4.5 percent in the first three quarters. However, this figure does not yet take into account current price developments, and incoming orders were also down by 4.3 percent. According to a flash survey conducted by the trade and employers' association, half of construction companies expect turnover to fall in 2024.

Short-time work is now an issue for a number of member companies, said Momberg. "The first redundancies have already been announced." Just under 60 percent of companies expect their employee numbers to remain stable. However, just over 20 percent also expected employment to fall. Just as many companies expected an increase in employment.

The Bauindustrieverband Ost represents the interests of 260 construction companies with around 20,000 employees in Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.

Read also:

  1. Despite the crisis in residential construction, the construction prices in eastern Germany remain high, adding to the industry's challenges.
  2. The city of Leipzig in eastern Germany also experiences a slowdown in housing construction due to the tense situation in the construction industry.
  3. The construction industry in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, like that of Berlin, is feeling the impact of the housing construction crisis.
  4. The Economic Situation in the Construction industry in eastern Germany is a concern for Robert Momberg, Managing Director of the Construction Industry Association East, who anticipates a difficult turn of the year ahead.
  5. The Construction industry in eastern Germany, in sectors including housing construction and real estate, is expected to face continued challenges in the coming months, according to the flash survey conducted by the trade and employers' association.
  6. The Crisis in the Construction industry in eastern Germany has prompted some construction companies to announce redundancies, with short-term work becoming an issue for a number of member companies.
  7. The Construction Industry Association East represents the interests of companies in the Construction, Housing Construction, and Real Estate sectors in Saxony, in addition to Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt.

Source: www.stern.de

Comments

Latest

Grave accusations levied against JVA staff members in Bavaria

Grave accusations levied against JVA staff members in Bavaria

Grave accusations levied against JVA staff members in Bavaria The Augsburg District Attorney's Office is currently investigating several staff members of the Augsburg-Gablingen prison (JVA) on allegations of severe prisoner mistreatment. The focus of the investigation is on claims of bodily harm in the workplace. It's

Members Public