by Calculated Risk on 8/01/2011 11:50:00 AM

Catching up ... this morning from the Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending increased slightly in June:

[C]onstruction spending during June 2011 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $772.3 billion, 0.2 percent (±1.8%)* above the revised May estimate of $770.5 billion.

Private construction spending increased in June:

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $493.4 billion, 0.8 percent (±1.3%)* above the revised May estimate of $489.6 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $235.8 billion in June, 0.3 percent (±1.3%)* below the revised May estimate of $236.5 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $257.7 billion in June, 1.8 percent (±1.3%) above the revised May estimate of $253.1 billion.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

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

Private residential spending is 65% below the peak in early 2006, and non-residential spending is 38% below the peak in January 2008.

Private construction spending is mostly moving sideways, and it is public construction spending that is now declining.

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

On a year-over-year basis, private residential construction spending will probably turn positive in August, but public spending is now falling sharply as the stimulus spending ends.