by Calculated Risk on 3/02/2015 11:01:00 AM

The Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending decreased in January:

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during January 2015 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $971.4 billion, 1.1 percent below the revised December estimate of $982.0 billion. The January figure is 1.8 percent above the January 2014 estimate of $954.6 billion.

Both private and public spending decreased in January:

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $697.6 billion, 0.5 percent below the revised December estimate of $700.9 billion. ...

In January, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $273.8 billion, 2.6 percent below the revised December estimate of $281.1 billion.
emphasis added

Note: Non-residential for offices and hotels is generally increasing, but spending for oil and gas is generally declining. Early in the recovery, there was a surge in non-residential spending for oil and gas (because prices increased), but now, with falling prices, oil and gas is a drag on overall construction spending.

As an example, construction spending for lodging is up 18% year-over-year, whereas spending for power (includes oil and gas) construction peaked in mid-2014 and is down 14% year-over-year (and will fall further in the coming months).

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 dipped a little last year, but is increasing again.

Non-residential spending is 17% below the peak in January 2008.

Public construction spending is now 16% below the peak in March 2009 and about 5% 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 down 3%. Non-residential spending is up 5% year-over-year. Public spending is up 5% year-over-year.

Looking forward, all categories of construction spending should increase in 2015. Residential spending is still very low, non-residential is starting to pickup (except oil and gas), and public spending has probably hit bottom after several years of austerity.

This was well below the consensus forecast of a 0.3% increase, with weakness in Public and non-residential spending.