Value of New Construction Enjoys 1.5% Increase to $816.4 Billion in December

Feb. 10, 2012
The U.S. Census Bureau said construction spending during Dec. 2011 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $816.4 billion, 1.5 percent above the revised November estimate of $804 billion.

The U.S. Census Bureau said construction spending during Dec. 2011 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $816.4 billion, 1.5 percent above the revised November estimate of $804 billion. The December figure is 4.3 percent above the Dec. 2010 estimate of $782.9 billion. The value of construction in 2011 was $787.4 billion, two percent below the $803.6 billion spent in 2010.

Private construction. Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $529.7 billion, 2.1 percent above the revised November estimate of $518.8 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $241.2 billion in December, 0.8 percent above the revised November estimate of $239.4 billion. The value of private construction in 2011 was $504.1 billion, 0.7 percent above the $500.6 billion spent in 2010. Residential construction in 2011 was $236.2 billion, 1.1 percent below the 2010 figure of $238.8 billion and nonresidential construction was $268 billion, 2.4 percent above the $261.8 billion in 2010.

Public construction. In December, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $286.6 billion, 0.5 percent above the revised November estimate of $285.3 billion. Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $70.6 billion, 0.6 percent below the revised November estimate of $71.1 billion. The value of public construction in 2011 was $283.3 billion, 6.5 percent below the $303 billion spent in 2010. Educational construction in 2011 was $70.9 billion, 5.3 percent below the 2010 figure of $74.9 billion.