Quest for input-output tables for intra-regional and inter-sectoral dependence analysis

The use of input-output (I-O) tables for examining inter-sectoral or international (intra-regional) flows of inputs and outputs between the construction sector and other sectors has been attempted and should be enhanced. Asia has always been a major construction market in terms of spending and growth. Due to the globalization of the construction sector in Asia, the inter-dependencies of the construction industry with a cluster of its related and supporting industries might have changed. The problems of the construction sector can only be better understood in relation to its immediate external environment and in a regional context. Input-output tables can be employed to analyze the inter-sectoral flows of inputs and outputs, thus helping to identify the inter-dependencies between the construction sector and other sectors. However, those economies that do not establish their own I-O tables have argued that such tables require substantial financial resources to obtain the data necessary to produce the tables. Recently, new approaches to I-O analyses have been explored for the construction industry, supporting that I-O tables are useful for economic analysis.