Construction spending weakened in May

Summary
Construction spending set to downshift
Total construction spending fell 0.1% during May. Both residential and nonresidential outlays dropped during the month. Although the construction market as a whole has navigated the higher interest rate environment relatively well thus far, the restrictive effects of tight monetary policy are becoming increasingly apparent across the industry. Separately reported, the forward-looking Architecture Billings Index (ABI) declined to the lowest reading since 2020 during May, which suggests further weakening in terms of construction spending is in the pipeline.
Author

Wells Fargo Research Team
Wells Fargo

















