The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced that construction spending during April 2012 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $820.7 billion, 0.3 percent (±1.3%) above the revised March estimate of $818.1 billion. The April figure is 6.8 percent (±1.9%) above the April 2011 estimate of $768.2 billion.

During the first 4 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $238.5 billion, 7.3 percent (±1.6%) above the $222.2 billion for the same period in 2011.

Private Construction

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $549.7 billion, 1.2 percent (±1.3%) above the revised March estimate of $543.4 billion.

Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $256.1 billion in April, 2.8 percent (±1.3%) above the revised March estimate of $249.1 billion.

Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $293.6 billion in April, 0.2 percent (±1.3%)* below the revised March estimate of $294.3 billion.

Public Construction

In April, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $271.0 billion, 1.4 percent (±2.1%) below the revised March estimate of $274.7 billion.

Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $68.3 billion, 0.9 percent (±5.0%) below the revised March estimate of $68.9 billion.

Highway construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $77.3 billion, 0.4 percent (±5.4%) above the revised March estimate of $77.0 billion.

Read the full April U.S. Census Bureau Construction Spending Report