EU Construction Edges Up

(CN) - Construction in Europe inched up half a percent in December after a long decline that began with the recession, said a Eurostat report released Wednesday.

Romania and Spain saw the biggest December increase among the European Union members, with the industry expanding 6.9 and 6.2 percent respectively. Slovakia saw the largest slow-down, with construction shrinking 11.3 percent.

Nonetheless, the jump follows an easing downward trend, with the European Union averaging a 5 percent fall since December of 2008.

Construction in Bulgaria fell 33 percent over the prior year, and in Slovakia it fell nearly 20 percent. Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic were the only countries to see growth over the year, with Spain's construction expanding by 7.5 percent, the most.

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