In 2015 turnover grew by 4 per cent at constant prices, which is high compared with past results and in line with firms’ expectations as reported in the previous year’s survey; about two thirds of firms saw their sales volume increase in 2015 compared with just over half in 2014. Sales prices maintained modest growth. Firms reported a change of about 1 per cent on average, as in the last two years; more than half of the firms reported no change or a negative variation.
Spending on investment regained strength, in line with firms’ expectations as reported in the 2014 survey.
Firms’ expected investment spending to continue to grow in the current year, at a rate of more than 2 per cent, benefiting from signs that sales are consolidating and a slight improvement in banks’ lending standards.
The further growth in sales estimated for the whole of this year should be more evenly distributed among firms; those expecting a decline in growth think it will be less marked than in past years.
For firms with 10 or more workers in the construction sector, the contraction of production under way since 2008 came to a halt, which was a better result than expected by firms in 2014. The stagnation of production overall reflects the net balance of growth in production – an increase in public works set against a fall in the private sector. Firms expect production to decrease again in 2016.