The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the Department of Commerce




SEPTEMBER 2005 CONSTRUCTION AT $1,120.0 BILLION ANNUAL RATE

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during September 2005 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,120.0 billion, 0.5 percent (±1.6%)* above the revised August estimate of $1,114.7 billion. The September figure is 6.8 percent (±2.4%) above the September 2004 estimate of $1,048.7 billion. During the first 9 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $827.6 billion, 8.8 percent (±1.8%) above the $760.9 billion for the same period in 2004.

PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $871.5 billion, 0.6 percent (±1.4%)* above the revised August estimate of $866.1 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $624.3 billion in September, 1.0 percent (±1.3%)* above the revised August estimate of $618.2 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $247.2 billion in September, 0.3 percent (±1.4%)* below the revised August estimate of $248.0 billion.

PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION

In September, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $248.5 billion, nearly the same (±2.2%)* as the revised August estimate of $248.5 billion. Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $64.9 billion, 1.3 percent (±3.8%)* above the revised August estimate of $64.1 billion. Highway construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $67.1 billion, 0.9 percent (±5.1%)* below the revised August estimate of $67.6 billion.



Available at: http://www.census.gov/constructionspending