U.S. Commerce Dept. Reports Increase in New Construction to $787.2 Billion

Nov. 4, 2011
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce estimated that construction spending during September 2011 hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce estimated that construction spending during September 2011 hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $787.2 billion, 0.2 percent above the revised August estimate of $786 billion. The September figure is 1.3 below the Sept. 2010 estimate of $797.3 billion. During the first nine months of 2011, construction spending amounted to $580.9 billion, 3.5 percent below the $602 billion for the same period in 2010.

Private construction

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $501.8 billion, 0.6 percent above the revised August estimate of $499 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $228.3 billion in September, 0.9 percent above the revised August estimate of $226.3 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $273.5 billion in September, 0.3 percent above the revised August estimate of $272.8 billion.

Public construction

In September, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $285.4 billion, 0.6 percent below the revised August estimate of $287 billion. Educational construction dropped to $73.3 billion, 0.9 percent below the revised August estimate of $73.9 billion.

Value Of New Construction Put In Place — September 2011

Value of Construction Put-in-Place ($ billions, seasonally adjusted annual rate)

Sept. '111 Aug. '112 Mo. % Change Sept. '10 YTY % Change Total Construction 787.2 787.2 0.2 787.2 -1.3 Total Private Construction1 501.8 501.8 0.6 501.8 3.9 Residential (incl. improvements)2 228.3 228.3 0.9 228.3 0.1 New single family 107.1 107.1 0.5 107.1 -0.1 New multi-family 15.1 15.1 0.2 15.1 6.5 Lodging 8.5 8.5 1.7 8.5 -18.8 Office 34.1 34.1 -0.2 34.1 -9.3 Commercial 44.0 44.0 -1.8 44.0 9.7 Health care 41.7 41.7 2.2 41.7 -0.1 Educational 87.4 87.4 -0.4 87.4 -3.2 Religious 4.2 4.2 1.0 4.2 -16.7 Public safety 9.7 9.7 -4.9 9.7 -9.2 Amusement and recreation 15.7 15.7 1.1 15.7 -12.3 Transportation 35.3 35.3 -2.3 35.3 -10.4 Communication 18.1 18.1 2.2 18.1 -0.3 Power 90.7 90.7 -0.2 90.7 19.3 Electric 64.5 64.5 -2.1 64.5 45.6 Highway and street 80.4 80.4 1.4 80.4 -6.3 Sewage and waste disposal 23.1 23.1 1.8 23.1 -13.1 Water supply 13.8 13.8 -2.4 13.8 -12.1 Conservation and development 6.6 6.6 -7.7 6.6 -4.8 Manufacturing 37.5 37.5 0.3 37.5 4.7 Total Public Construction2 285.4 285.4 -0.6 285.4 -9.2 Residential 8.0 8.0 -5.0 8.0 -25.2 Office 11.2 11.2 1.1 11.2 -18.6 Commercial 3.5 3.5 -5.2 3.5 11.5 Health care 11.0 11.0 -1.2 11.0 7.7 Educational 73.3 73.3 -0.9 73.3 -5.2 Public safety 9.5 9.5 -4.5 9.5 -9.7 Amusement and recreation 8.9 8.9 2.1 8.9 -18.7 Transportation 24.0 24.0 -4.7 24.0 -19.2 Power 11.5 11.5 2.5 11.5 -11.5 Highway and street 80.3 80.3 1.4 80.3 -6.3 Sewage and waste disposal 22.6 22.6 1.7 22.6 -13.5 Water supply 13.3 13.3 -2.4 13.3 -11.4 Conservation and development 6.5 6.5 -8.3 6.5 -5.8

1-Preliminary; 2-Revised
Note: The U.S. Census department changed its construction categories beginning with its May 2003 statistics.
With the changes in the project classifications, data now presented are not directly comparable with those data previously published in the regular-format press releases and tables. Direct comparisons can only be made at the total, total private, total state and local, total federal, and total public levels for annual and not seasonally adjusted monthly data. For more information, check out
http://www.census.gov/const/www/c30index.html.