by Calculated Risk on 6/02/2014 11:24:00 AM

The Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending increased in April:

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2014 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $953.5 billion, 0.2 percent above the revised March estimate of $951.6 billion. The April figure is 8.6 percent above the April 2013 estimate of $878.4 billion.

Private spending was mostly unchanged and public spending increased in April:

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $686.5 billion, nearly the same as the revised March estimate of $686.8 billion. ...

In April, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $267.0 billion, 0.8 percent above the revised March estimate of $264.8 billion.
emphasis added

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 44% below the peak in early 2006, and up 66% from the post-bubble low.

Non-residential spending is 26% below the peak in January 2008, and up about 37% from the recent low.

Public construction spending is now 18% below the peak in March 2009 and about 1% above the post-recession low.

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

On a year-over-year basis, private residential construction spending is now up 17%. Non-residential spending is up 6% year-over-year. Public spending is up 1% year-over-year.


Looking forward, all categories of construction spending should increase in 2014. Residential spending is still very low, non-residential is starting to pickup, and public spending is probably near a bottom.

Note: Public construction spending is at the lowest level since 2006 (lowest since 2001 adjusted for inflation).  Not investing more in infrastructure is probably one of the major policy failures of the last 5+ years.