The Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office has published new figures on Berlin's construction sector. The data for October 2015 tell a clear story: the industry is growing, and building construction is driving it.
207 million euros in revenue in October
Berlin construction firms with 20 or more employees generated total revenue of 207.3 million euros in October 2015, up 4.1 per cent year on year. The increase came almost entirely from building construction, meaning new residential and commercial projects.
Building construction: up 12.6 per cent
Building construction revenue rose 12.6 per cent, more than offsetting the 6.0 per cent decline in civil engineering. This increase matches the strong demand for new apartments in Berlin. Market data confirm a sustained level of construction activity, particularly in boroughs such as Pankow and Lichtenberg.
Fewer workers, higher output
A notable detail: the number of employees fell by 2.8 per cent to 11,876. At the same time, revenue per worker rose 7.1 per cent to 17,453 euros. Hours worked also declined slightly, by 1.7 per cent to 1.3 million. In short, firms built more with fewer people.
Order backlog remains solid
New orders came in at 203.3 million euros, only 1.6 per cent below the prior-year level. That points to full order books for the coming months.
For investors and property owners, the takeaway is straightforward: Berlin's construction boom continues. At the same time, high utilisation at building firms can lead to rising construction costs and longer lead times, which matters when planning new projects.
