The building is already turning towards 2017: full of promises!

In France, in 2016, the building sector posted an increase in activity of 1.9%. 380,000 dwellings were started, an increase of 7.4%. The prospects are attractive for 2017 which will see the growth increase for new housing and new non-residential.

This recovery (now confirmed) can be explained by the dynamism of new home sales, which began in late 2014, the very low level of interest rates and the favorable institutional environment supported by PTZ and Pinel. It is still marked by the upturn in the new non-residential segment, led by administrative buildings, which has declined by 1.7%. The improvement-maintenance segment also had a gloomy year with an increase in activity of 0.5%. On this basis, the building sector posted a stabilization of its workforce in 2016, with a strong interim (+10,000 full-time equivalent job positions) and a decline in paid employment (-10,000 jobs).

The situation is expected to improve further in 2017 with activity up 3.4%. While the improvement-maintenance market will remain weak (+ 0.9%), the new market will continue its momentum (+ 7%). Nearly 410,000 housing units will be started, generating an increase in activity of 8.6%. The new non-residential sector will return to growth (+ 4%) thanks to industrial buildings and businesses which will see growth of about 10%, respectively. At the same time, activity in offices and administrative buildings will stabilize. As a result, the building will finally create jobs, around 10,000 jobs, including 6,000 employees and 4,000 temporary workers.