Dive Brief:

• A good year overall is better than a bad year, even if the good is unevenly spread, as Census Bureau figures for U.S. construction last year showed residential activity kept the number positive.
• The December annual pace for construction put in place was $930 billion, up 4.8% from where 2012 ended, but not as nice as that year's 9% climb from 2011.
• The picture for U.S. construction remained largely as it has been recently, with residential building compensating for commercial construction doldrums and public-sector spending still falling overall – though highway and street construction did rise 1% last year.

Dive Insight:

The chief economist for Associated General Contractors, Ken Simonson, foresees the gas and oil industry being the largest driver for construction growth this year and overall private nonresidential construction gaining 6% to 10%. Looming over any positive outlook is the as-yet uncorrected demise of federal highway funding when a law expires and the Highway Trust Fund runs out of money for any new projects.