Following is unedited Press Release from the Department of Commerce.


AUGUST 2005 CONSTRUCTION AT $1,108.5 BILLION ANNUAL RATE

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during August 2005 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,108.5 billion, 0.4 percent (±1.9%)* above the revised July estimate of $1,104.1 billion. The August figure is 6.1 percent (±2.4%) above the August 2004 estimate of $1,044.4 billion.

During the first 8 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $723.7 billion, 9.0 percent (±1.9%) above the $664.2 billion for the same period in 2004.

PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION

Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $858.4 billion, 0.4 percent (±2.2%)* above the revised July estimate of $855.3 billion. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $614.6 billion in August, 0.2 percent (±1.3%)* above the revised July estimate of $613.5 billion. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $243.8 billion in August, 0.8 percent (±2.2%)* above the revised July estimate of
$241.8 billion.

PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION

In August, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spending was
$250.2 billion, 0.5 percent (±2.7%)* above the revised July estimate of $248.9 billion. Educational construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $64.9 billion, 0.9 percent (±3.5%)* below the revised July estimate of $65.5 billion. Highway construction was at seasonally adjusted annual rate of $66.9 billion, 1.4 percent (±7.0%)* above the revised July estimate of $66.0 billion.

September 2005 data will be released on November 1, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. EST.
For more detailed data and methodologies, go to our website:

http://www.census.gov/constructionspending