ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Dips 0.1% in April

National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.1% in April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.248 trillion.

Spending was down on a monthly basis in 6 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending was down 0.5%, while public nonresidential construction spending was up 0.5% in April.

“Construction spending slipped in April as headwinds like trade policy uncertainty, high interest rates and tight lending standards continued to batter industrywide momentum,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Nearly 22% of contractors reported tariff-related project delays or cancellations in April, and despite changes to certain import tax rates in May, policy uncertainty remains extraordinarily elevated.

“With the exception of data centers and certain public sector segments, the industry has few bright spots at the moment,” said Basu. “Private nonresidential spending has fallen in 3 of the first 4 months of 2025 and is on pace to decline 4% for the year. This is especially concerning given a nearly 10% year-over-year decline in computer/electronic manufacturing construction spending, the segment that bolstered the industry throughout much of 2023 and 2024.”