Conditions and outlook for the construction products industries: results of the AIMCC trends survey

29 of the 39 professional organizations surveyed responded, representing a response rate of 74%, distributed as follows: 40% structural work, 47% secondary work and 13% equipment.

Review of the year 2023: main results of the survey

Concerning the volume of activity in 2023 (production sold and not turnover) for products used in construction, compared to 2022: 86% of respondents experienced a drop in activity. 47% of them estimate the drop to be greater than -5%. The remaining 14% is divided between progression of activity and stagnation.

Concerning the main factors slowing down business activity, the general drop in activity in 2023 is mainly attributed to the drop in demand for 35% of respondents and to the consequences of inflation with the increase in costs for 25 % of them. Among the other obstacles cited: labor constraints for 12%, tensions on supply prices for 11% and on energy prices for 10%, then the availability of equipment and materials for 6%. .

For the level of activity by sector, structural work reports almost identical results in 2023 compared to 2022, while finishing work mainly shows a slight increase. The results of the equipment are much more contrasted depending on the family represented.

Challenges and prospects for 2024: main results of the survey

Concerning the opinion on the volume of activity (production sold and not turnover) in 2024 compared to 2023 for products used in construction, manufacturers predict a very significant decline in activity in 2024 compared to 2023 (already on the decline). For half of respondents, the drop will be between -5% and -10%. For 26% of respondents, it will be more significant (greater than -10%). Only 20% of respondents expect equivalent activity or a slight increase in 2024.

The three market segments anticipate a drop in activity, with more or less significant variations: the structural work anticipates very significant drop in results, while the secondary work anticipates declines but not beyond -15% and that the equipment is consistent in its responses with the finishing work.

To the question what is your opinion on the evolution of the workforce of companies in your federation in 2024: 60% consider that the workforce should remain stable, or even increase in 2024, despite the economic situation. The majority of the second work envisages seeing its workforce as well as the equipment stagnate. The structural work is considering a reduction in its workforce.

When asked which job profiles will be most sought after in 2024, almost half of the professional organizations surveyed answered that of technicians.

Concerning the main factors slowing down business activity in 2024, it is no surprise that financial constraints and the drop in demand are very much at the center of industrial concerns, while fears for 2023 focused on tensions on supply and energy prices or on labor shortages.

The main expectations of companies in the construction sector for 2024 are (in descending order): cost control, data ownership and their exploitation, decarbonization, digital transformation, employee training and the development of national sovereignty and European.

AIMCC priorities for 2024

Support for business activity, by demanding from public authorities a policy of relaunching new construction and large-scale renovations, by massifying the efficient renovation of buildings and by boosting the solidarity of the entire sector.

Competitiveness and strategic autonomy, by accelerating the ecological transition while controlling costs, strengthening the association's ownership of data and controlling their use.

The ecological transition, by driving and supporting the ecological transition roadmaps for each family of products, by decarbonizing processes, products and works, by representing manufacturers in the deployment of EPR and circular economy actions ( sobriety in the use of natural resources, framing of reuse conditions, etc.).

With the contribution of CSF Industries for construction

The AIMCC underlines its alignment with the priorities of the industry and the construction sector in terms of ecological transition and competitiveness, but also the notable progress on the “structuring” projects of the Strategic Sector Contract (collective actions and disruptive innovations ), including roadmaps for decarbonization of the cement, glass, tiles and bricks and roads industries.

The new “structuring” projects started at the end of 2023 will continue in 2024 with the active participation of the general secretariat of the National Council of Industry, to build a Water Sobriety Plan for industries for construction and around ten circular economy projects in construction aimed, in particular, at the development of the recycling of concrete and terracotta products, paints and road products.

For Philippe Gruat, president of the AIMCC: “Faced with the multiple challenges that manufacturers will face in 2024, our first priority will be to support their activity, by demanding from public authorities a policy of relaunching new construction but also the massification of efficient renovation of buildings. Faced with a new financial crisis, we are calling for solidarity from the entire sector because it is through dialogue and exchanges that our sector will be able to get through this difficult phase. Our second priority will be to ensure competitiveness and strategic autonomy for manufacturers who must accelerate the ecological transition, while controlling costs in a situation made more complex by the increase in wage costs linked to inflation, energy prices and materials that will not return to their initial prices and by their obligation to invest in R&D to meet decarbonization objectives. Our ambition in 2024 will also be to continue to drive and support the ecological transition roadmaps for each family of products and to represent manufacturers in the deployment of EPR to contribute to greater integration of recycled content in products. Finally, we will continue to support manufacturers in the implementation of circular economy actions, ensuring that reused products always comply with current standards, that insurance responsibilities are defined and that the marketers of these products produce FDES. »