National nonresidential construction spending declined 0.4% in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data published today. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, spending totaled $773.8 billion, 0.3% higher than in August 2018.
Private nonresidential spending fell 1% on a monthly basis and is down 2.8% compared to the same time last year. Public nonresidential construction expanded 0.4% for the month and 4.8% for the year.
"Nonresidential construction spending is down nearly 3% from its peak in April 2019 due to declines in private construction,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. "Construction spending in the commercial category, which encompasses retail space among other segments, is down nearly 12% on a year-over-year basis. Spending related to lodging, including new hotel construction, was down 0.7% for the month and is up less than 4% year over year. Spending in the power segment also decreased in August and is down 3.5% compared to the same time last year."
“All of this is consistent with a slowing economy, especially as measures such as industrial production and capacity utilization remain stagnant,” said Basu. “While this could be attributed to trade wars and a slowing global economy, construction dynamics are rarely so simple. Another likely explanation is that America’s growing shortage of skilled construction workers has driven up the cost of delivering construction services, even in the context of flat materials prices, resulting in more project owners delaying projects.
“On the other hand, public construction spending continues to rise,” said Basu. “Construction spending on public safety is up 13.5% on a year-over-year basis and spending in the sewage/waste disposal category is up nearly 19%. State and local governments continue to benefit from an economy that has pushed property tax, sales tax and income tax collections higher. Low borrowing costs also serve as an inducement to leverage revenues with debt, resulting in more infrastructure spending. Given the recent path of interest rates, this dynamic should continue into 2020.”
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Jan 16, 2020
EC firms with a clear ‘digital roadmap’ should excel in 2020
Deloitte, in new report, lays out a risk mitigation strategy that relies on tech.
Market Data | Jan 13, 2020
Construction employment increases by 20,000 in December and 151,000 in 2019
Survey finds optimism about 2020 along with even tighter labor supply as construction unemployment sets record December low.
Market Data | Jan 10, 2020
North America’s office market should enjoy continued expansion in 2020
Brokers and analysts at two major CRE firms observe that tenants are taking longer to make lease decisions.
Market Data | Dec 17, 2019
Architecture Billings Index continues to show modest growth
AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 51.9 for November reflects an increase in design services provided by U.S. architecture firms.
Market Data | Dec 12, 2019
2019 sets new record for supertall building completion
Overall, the number of completed buildings of at least 200 meters in 2019 declined by 13.7%.
Market Data | Dec 4, 2019
Nonresidential construction spending falls in October
Private nonresidential spending fell 1.2% on a monthly basis and is down 4.3% from October 2018.
Market Data | Nov 25, 2019
Office construction lifts U.S. asking rental rate, but slowing absorption in Q3 raises concerns
12-month net absorption decelerates by one-third from 2018 total.
Market Data | Nov 22, 2019
Architecture Billings Index rebounds after two down months
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score in October is 52.0.
Market Data | Nov 14, 2019
Construction input prices unchanged in October
Nonresidential construction input prices fell 0.1% for the month and are down 2.0% compared to the same time last year.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 7, 2019
Multifamily construction market remains strong heading into 2020
Fewer than one in 10 AEC firms doing multifamily work reported a decrease in proposal activity in Q3 2019, according to a PSMJ report.