Financial News: German Construction Activity Contracts At Slower Pace

German Construction Activity Contracts At Slower Pace

12/04/2025 - 04:19:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - Germany's construction sector continued to contract in November but the pace of decline softened due to the rise in civil engineering activity, survey data from S&P Global showed on Thursday.

The HCOB construction Purchasing Managers' Index registered 45.2 in November, down from October's seven-month low of 42.8. A score below 50.0 indicates contraction in the sector.

The increase was primarily driven by renewed upturn in civil engineering activity. However, there were sustained downturns in housing and commercial activity. Residential activity remained the weakest-performing segment by some margin.

Constructors reported another faster decline in incoming new work. With workloads falling, constructors maintained a negative outlook for activity in the coming year. Expectations fell to its lowest in three months.

There was a slight rise in employment despite scepticism in the outlook. It marked the end of a continuous sequence of job shedding stretching back to April 2022.

Weak demand for building materials and products helped constrain the rate of purchasing price inflation. Subcontractor charges increased at a slightly slower pace than the month before.

Supplier delivery times lengthened for the second straight month and for only the third time in the past 21 months. The deterioration in vendor performance was the greatest seen since February 2024.

"The recession in the construction sector eased somewhat in November," Hamburg Commercial Bank Chief Economist Cyrus de la Rubia said.

"The slump in the broader construction sector can only be overcome if the economy as a whole returns to sustainable growth, improving the purchasing power of consumers and businesses alike," de la Rubia added.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

Market News provided by RTTNews

RECENT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL NEWS

U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Dip More Than Expected (18 min(s), 50 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Labor Department released a report on Wednesday showing first-time claims for U.S. ...Full Story»

Slovenian Economic Confidence Improves In December (03 hr(s), 41 min(s), 50 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Slovenia's economic confidence turned positive in December to the highest level in ...Full Story»

South Korean Consumer Confidence Falls In December (04 hr(s), 30 min(s), 50 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - South Korea's consumer confidence faded in December after strengthening in the pre ...Full Story»

Taiwan Industrial Output Growth Improves; Retail Sales Rise Further (05 hr(s), 01 min(s), 50 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Taiwan's industrial production growth moderated somewhat in November, while retail ...Full Story»

Dutch Q3 GDP Growth Improves More Than Estimated (07 hr(s), 09 min(s), 50 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Netherlands' economic growth accelerated more than initially estimated in the ...Full Story»

Japan Leading Index Rises Less Than Estimated (07 hr(s), 36 min(s), 50 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Japan's leading index improved less than initially estimated in October to the hig ...Full Story»

Five-Year Note Auction Attracts Average Demand (30 min(s), 10 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - A day after revealing this month's two-year note auction attracted below average d ...Full Story»

U.S. Consumer Confidence Deteriorates For Fifth Straight Month In December (29 min(s), 10 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Consumer confidence in the U.S. deteriorated for the fifth consecutive month in Decemb ...Full Story»