Monday March 20, 2023 | 6:12 p.m.
The cost of construction registered an increase of 5.6% in February and thus accumulated a rise of 12.1% in the first two months of the year, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) reported on Monday.
With this increase, the cost of construction increased 101.8% in the last twelve months.
In the second month of the current year, increases of 5.1% were recorded in the prices of Materials; of 6.2% in Manpower, and 5.2% in the item General Expenses.
In the first two months of the year these increases were 11.1% in Materials, 13.2% in Manpower and 12.4% in “general expenses, which mainly includes services provided in the works.
With regard to inputs, in February the largest increases were recorded in Glass (8.7%); concrete and cement products (8.1%); Cables and conductors (7.7%); paints and similar (7.2%), and fire equipment (7.1%).
Then, with increases of more than 6%, Insulating Products, Iron for construction and Pipes and iron accessories were registered.
Regarding labor, there was almost no difference between the rise of 6.2% of registered work, and 6% of those sub-contracted.
In “General expenses” there were increases of 19.1% in Backhoes, 12.5% in Loader, 5% in Scaffolding, and 4.2 for tippers.
In the year-on-year comparison, the 101.8% rise was driven by a 104% rise in the value of labor, 101.6% in Materials, and 92.7% in the case of General Expenses .
The INDEC had already reported last week the information on the variation of the Consumer Price Index that presented a rise of 6.6%, which gave an accumulated 13.1% in the first two months of the year, and 102, 5% in the last 12 months.
This Tuesday the agency plans to complete the announcement of the price indices with the variation in the wholesale segment.
