Skip to main content

A weak labour market will keep the housing market depressed

House prices are likely to end 2011 in line with, or marginally lower than, last year. That will do little to alleviate the extent to which housing is overvalued. Against this backdrop, and with the economic outlook characterised by weak growth and falling employment, house prices have further to fall. We expect prices to decline by 5% in both 2012 and 2013. While low interest rates make a longer, slower adjustment possible, if anything, we think that the threat of another major financial market shock and a return to recession mean that the risks to our forecasts are to the downside. 

Become a client to read more

This is premium content that requires an active Capital Economics subscription to view.

Already have an account?

You may already have access to this premium content as part of a paid subscription.

Sign in to read the content in full or get details of how you can access it

Register for free

Sign up for a free account to gain:

  • Unlock additional content
  • Register for Capital Economics events
  • Receive email updates and economist-curated newsletters
  • Request a free trial of our services


Get access