Dive Brief:

• Nonresidential construction, like the housing market, has had its ups and downs when it comes to spending and starts over the past few years, but analysts predict the market is on the brink of a growth spurt.

• An analysis of government data, commercial demand for building materials and architectural billings shows strong activity in architectural billings and increasing profits among steelmakers.

• The positive upward movement is a good predictor of future construction activity, the analysts said, but noted that it could take another year to translate into groundbreakings for new projects.

Dive Insight:

Although nonresidential construction spending declined between July and August and remains at historically low levels, it is higher than it was a year ago. The positive signs point to further increases in spending not only in nonresidential sectors that have already seen improvement, like retail and office, but for those that have struggled, like education and healthcare, according to Investors.com.