According to the institute, the slowdown in the construction activity extended to the two segments considered – construction of buildings and civil engineering – which in January saw year-on-year variations of 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively (compared to 3.6% and 2.6% in December 2018).

The building construction segment contributed 1.5 percentage points to the aggregate index, while civil engineering recorded a contribution of 0.7 percentage points.

The employment and pay rates grew 1.8% and 4.1% in January, a decrease compared to 2.1% and 4.5%, respectively, in December.