Construction investment in the education sector is still in a post-recession slump, even as spending on all construction continues to rise from its low point in early 2011.
The latest “Construction Put in Place” estimates from the Census Bureau show total construction spending in August at $1.142 trillion. That’s a 97% recovery from the most recent spending peak in the first quarter of 2006, and 51.4% higher than the Census estimate for January 2011, $754.7 billion, which was the lowest point for construction during the recession.
The education sector remains one of the biggest in terms of nonresidential construction put in place. But Census’ August 2016 estimate for this sector—$86.1 billion—is still 35% below the peak spending for this sector in the first quarter of 2009.