US Construction Spending Drops 1.9% in September 2026
Total construction spending fell to $2.19 trillion in September, down from a revised $2.23 trillion in August, Census Bureau data show.
U.S. construction spending declined 1.9 percent in September 2026 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,186.1 billion, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The drop followed a revised August 2026 estimate of $2,227.4 billion, which itself reflected a 2.0 percent month-over-month gain.
The September figure represents a pullback of roughly $41 billion from the prior month's revised level. The Census Bureau placed the margin of error for the monthly change at plus or minus 0.7 percentage points, indicating the decline is statistically significant.
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The reversal from August's upwardly revised reading suggests the construction sector gave back a portion of the prior month's gains. August's estimate was revised upward, marked with an asterisk in the official release, underscoring that early construction figures are subject to meaningful revision as more complete data become available.
Construction spending is a closely watched indicator of economic activity, reflecting investment in residential, nonresidential, and public infrastructure projects. A monthly contraction of this magnitude can signal softening demand or financing pressures across segments of the building industry, though a single month's data rarely establishes a clear trend.
Continue reading at U.S. Census Bureau Economic Briefing Room.
