The total seasonally-adjusted value of building permits issued by Alberta municipalities* decreased by 2.8% (-$33.9 million) in March to just under $1.2 billion.

Residential intentions pulled back by 1.4% (-$11.0 million). Single dwelling residential permits went up by 2.8% (+$14.7 million) while permits for multiple dwelling projects went down by 9.8% (-$25.7 million).

Non-residential permit value took a bigger hit in March, falling by 5.3% (-$22.9 million). Permits for industrial building projects were down by 37.2% (-$17.1 million) while commercial permits slipped by 20.2% (-$60.9 million). Institutional and governmental permit value went in the other direction, rising by 65.0% (+$55.1 million).

When price inflation in the building sector is removed, the monthly decline in permit value in Alberta was somewhat worse, falling by 3.3% in March.

Nationally, total building permit value in March contracted by 9.3% with lower permits in the commercial sector (-7.2%) and the institutional and governmental sector (-58.5%) responsible for the monthly drop.

Adjusting for price changes, the total value of building permits in the country was down by 11.5% in March.

*Statistics Canada’s Building Permits Survey covers all Canadian municipalities that issue permits.

Answer to the previous trivia question: The international song contest Eurovision is held every year in May.

Today’s trivia question: As of April 2022, how many “employed persons” were there in Canada? (Employed persons are those who did any work for pay or profit or had a job and were absent from work.)