Revamped Report on Construction Industry Order Trends
Decline in April's Construction Order Intake Observed Again - Construction sector's intakefigured decline in April once more
Construction is a sector with its own ebb and flow. The latest figures for April show a shift in the industry's dynamics, not all of it favorable.
Civil Engineering and Infrastructure-Related Construction
The civil engineering sector, which encompasses infrastructure projects, has seen a slight uptick of 34.3% in March this year, as revealed by the Federal Statistical Office. However, the momentum from March hasn't rolled over into April, with sustained growth yet to be achieved, and the industry still treading water. The slowdown is partly attributed to new public projects starts being slower than anticipated, coupled with uncertainty surrounding future stimulus initiatives [5].
Residential Construction
On the residential front, the news isn't entirely disheartening. Despite no specific data on orders for April, the residential construction sector managed to maintain a positive trajectory in the first quarter, registering a significant increase of 16% compared to the previous year [4]. Yet, getting a clearer picture of April's order intake trends remains elusive.
General Industry Trends
Turning to related industries, the demand for trailers, a staple in construction and freight, dipped by more than 26% from April to May in the year 2025, although it still represented a 12% growth compared to the same period last year [1] [2] [3]. This suggests a somewhat subdued yet stable outlook for the sector.
On the other hand, the demand for Class 8 vocational trucks, a key indicator of infrastructure construction activity, has slowed noticeably throughout May 2025. Order books are now aligned with seasonal averages, but build slots in the third quarter are still open, signaling a certain degree of caution among investors [5].
In summary, the April order intake trends paint a picture of a construction industry standing at a crossroads, with civil engineering-related segments exhibiting steady but restrained growth and residential construction's direction remaining unclear [1] [3] [5].
- Order Intake
- Construction Industry
- Infrastructure
- Residential
- Civil Engineering
[1] Housing Wire[2] FreightWaves[3] SIA[4] Central Association of the German Construction Industry (ZDB)[5] Association of the Construction Industry
- Despite the 16% increase in the first quarter of the residential construction sector compared to the previous year, the specific April data on orders remains unclear, highlighting a need for further information about the industry's employment policy in relation to business financing.
- The steady but restrained growth of civil engineering-related segments and the unclear direction of residential construction point to a construction industry at a crossroads, potentially influencing the employment policy decisions in this sector, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding future stimulus initiatives.
