As every year on the occasion of the New Year wishes, the President of the FBTP 06, Philipe Gautier, reviewed the current state of the sector. He was accompanied by Pierre Mario, the Vice-President representing public and road works.
Two topics were on the agenda:
– A review of the year 2017, considered as the year of recovery for the construction industry.
– The prospects for the year 2018
Last year, Philipe Gautier said, we hoped for a return to growth with the creation of 200 – 300 jobs for the department in the building sector.
According to him, this bet was achieved. He explained, “The industry created 200 direct jobs, for a total of 22,200 BTP employees for the Alpes Maritimes.”
To this figure, he added, “we must also add the 200 full-time equivalent positions for temporary work.”
According to him, the sector has greatly contributed to the recovery of employment in the department.
This figure must nonetheless be nuanced, as it is, according to Philipe Gautier, set within a context of declining activity for nearly a decade. In fact, since 2010, the workforce has decreased by more than 12%.
The progress is thus significant, and it is due, in his opinion, to several factors:
– By the end of November, housing construction showed an increase of nearly 40% year-on-year. A driver of recovery for the entire real estate sector.
Several reasons explain this phenomenon:
– attractive taxation
– selling prices that are still high but have remained stable for 4 years
– historically low bank interest rates
– traditional financial products that are increasingly less competitive in terms of profitability
– The non-residential segment has been gaining momentum for several years thanks to the development of activity zones such as the EcoVallée.
– Permits and construction starts have increased by 38% over the past 12 months.
However, Philipe Gautier remains cautious about the evolution of housing, as three indicators raise concerns about a slowdown in momentum:
– Housing permits have been losing momentum for several months
– New listings and sales of new homes recorded a significant decline in the third quarter of 2017.
– selling prices are increasing again, which may discourage potential local investors.
Regarding the prospects, President Philipe Gautier estimates that the year 2018 will be calmer.
– Political stability has been restored with a new President of the Republic, a majority in the National Assembly.
– The economic orientations are known and implemented
The tension nevertheless remains real in the markets with prices still too low. Situations are risky for companies, especially in terms of investment capacity.
The new government has simplified the occupational hardship account, removing 4 of the 10 factors from its scope. Thanks to these changes, BTP workers are no longer affected by the 6 remaining factors. A real breath of fresh air for business leaders.
