Construction Starts Fall in December; Even for Year

摘要

According to Dodge Data & Analytics, total construction starts in the final month of 2019 dropped 21% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $800.4 billion. For the full year, total construction starts were essentially flat when compared to 2018 at $817.6 billion. Highway and bridge starts fell 18% in December and were down 8% for the year. "Last year (2019) will go down as one of the most volatile years for monthly construction starts due the lumpy nature of large projects," stated Richard Branch, chief economist at Dodge Data & Analytics. "Looking beyond the influence of these massive projects, it is evident that the uncertainty surrounding trade policy weighed on construction activity last year."