Dive Brief:

• The big-picture number – the annual rate for all construction put in place – was $934 billion in November, which Associated General Contractors said was a 5.9% rise over 12 months.
• Nonresidential construction edged up 0.6% for the year, Associated Builders and Contractors reported, showing the extent to which growth has been driven by residential building, especially multifamily.
• ABC said the outlook was positive for the first half of this year for nonresidential, where it focuses, and AGC concurred for the private sector, but rapped the public sector for holding back growth by not funding infrastructure needs.

Dive Insight:

Both trade groups are working from Census Bureau data, but they don't always get the same results from their math. In the lodging sector of nonresidential construction, for example, AGC calculates that spending was up 0.3% from October and up 32.7% from November 2012. ABC calculates that the sector was down 0.2% month-to-month and up 31.2% year-to-year. ABC also noted that comparisons of November with September were probably more valid because the government shutdown messed with activity in October.