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


The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during August 2006 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,200.7 billion, 0.3% above the revised July estimate of $1,196.8 billion. The August figure is 4.4% above the August 2005 estimate of $1,150.3 billion. During the first 8 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $793.2 billion, 7.2% above the $739.9 billion for the same period in 2005.

PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $929.1 billion, 0.1% above the revised July estimate of $927.9 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $617.0 billion in August, 1.5% below the revised July estimate of $626.2 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $312.0 billion in August, 3.4% above the revised July estimate of $301.7 billion.

PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION

In August, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was $271.6 billion, 1.1% above the revised July estimate of $268.8 billion. Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $70.7 billion, 0.7% above the revised July estimate of $70.2 billion. Highway construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $77.9 billion, 0.4% above the revised July estimate of $77.6 billion.


Available at:

http://www.census.gov/const/C30/release.pdf