The Czech construction is in freefall, with output having already fallen 7 percent as of the end of October and an 8 percent drop expected for the year. But statistics show that the order books of contractors are fuller than they have been since 1999. As of the end of the third quarter, the number of orders had grown 4.1 percent to 21,324, while their estimated value grew 12.8 percent to CZK 199.7 billion. Of that total around two-thirds are made up of public orders. Several factors are at work, including the slow process of preparing construction orders. But the public sector also tends to invest anticyclically, using the power of the national budget to blunt the edges of economic crisis. In addition, the private sector has come to the realization that the coronavirus will eventually end and investors are trying to ensure they are prepared for the return of prosperity. The value of public orders for contractors with 50 and more employees grew 30 percent to CZK 122.1 billion, while private orders rose in value by 17 percent.
