by Calculated Risk on 7/02/2012 11:30:00 AM

Catching up ... This morning the Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending increased in May:

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during May 2012 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $830.0 billion, 0.9 percent above the revised April estimate of $822.5 billion. The May figure is 7.0 percent above the May 2011 estimate of $775.8 billion.

Private construction spending increased while public spending decreased:

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $560.4 billion, 1.6 percent above the revised April estimate of $551.8 billion. ... In May, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $269.6 billion, 0.4 percent below the revised April estimate of $270.7 billion.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows private residential and nonresidential construction spending, and public spending, since 1993. Note: nominal dollars, not inflation adjusted.

Private residential spending is 61% below the peak in early 2006, and up 17% from the recent low. Non-residential spending is 28% below the peak in January 2008, and up about 30% from the recent low.

Public construction spending is now 17% below the peak in March 2009 and at a new post-bubble low.

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in construction spending.

On a year-over-year basis, both private residential and non-residential construction spending are positive, but public spending is down on a year-over-year basis. The year-over-year improvements in private non-residential is mostly related to energy spending (power and electric).

The year-over-year improvement in private residential investment is an important change (the positive in 2010 was related to the tax credit). Construction is now the "bright spot" for the economy, however the improvement in residential construction is being somewhat offset by declines in public construction spending.
All Housing Investment and Construction Graphs