The Construction Economy Brief — December 2025

By: The Birmingham Group Research Desk • Last updated: December 5, 2025

October 2025 produced one of the strongest months on record for U.S. nonresidential construction starts, while topline spending data shows an uneven backdrop. Below is a factual snapshot of where the market stands, with direct source links and no speculation.

Key Facts

  • Nonresidential starts hit ≈ $81.7B in October 2025, among the highest monthly totals ever recorded. “Megaprojects” contributed over $32B of that total.
  • Civil/infrastructure momentum: year-to-date (through October) civil starts rose ≈ 9.1%; October civil starts were ≈ $37.2B, the second-highest monthly civil total of 2025.
  • Total construction spending (put-in-place): August 2025 SAAR ≈ $2.169T, up 0.2% m/m, down 1.6% y/y.
  • Regional split: nonresidential starts growth is highly uneven by Census division; the Mountain division led gains through October while the West Coast was nearly flat.
  • Data centers: U.S. data-center construction reached a record ≈ $40B SAAR by June 2025, driven by AI and cloud demand.
  • Labor snapshot: BLS’ September 2025 jobs report shows modest national job growth and an atypical data cadence this fall due to the federal shutdown; sector hiring signals remain mixed.

2025 U.S. Construction Snapshot (Latest Verified)

Category Latest Figure Timing
Nonresidential starts (total) $81.7B (with >$32B from megaprojects) Oct 2025
Civil starts (monthly) $37.2B (2nd-highest month in 2025) Oct 2025
Civil starts (YTD growth) +9.1% Through Oct 2025
Total construction spending (SAAR) $2.169T Aug 2025
Data-center construction (SAAR) ≈ $40B June 2025
Regional picture Mountain division leads; West Coast ~flat Through Oct 2025
Labor backdrop Modest overall job growth; data irregularities noted due to shutdown Sept–Nov 2025

What This Means (Brief, Non-Speculative Context)

  • The pipeline for large nonresidential and civil projects remains strong, especially where megaprojects are active.
  • Put-in-place spending is not uniformly rising, which implies timing and execution lags between starts and realized outlays.
  • Regional strategy matters: conditions vary sharply by Census division.

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Methodology & Sources

This brief consolidates publicly available, late-2025 data from ConstructConnect (starts and regional analysis), the U.S. Census Bureau (construction spending), Reuters/Bank of America Institute (data-center construction), and BLS (labor backdrop). We distinguish “starts” (pipeline/groundbreakings) from “put-in-place” (actual spending) to avoid metric conflation.

  • U.S. nonresidential starts, megaproject share, and civil trends (Oct 2025). See ConstructConnect articles and snapshot PDFs.
  • Total construction spending SAAR (Aug 2025). See U.S. Census monthly construction spending.
  • Data-center construction ≈ $40B SAAR (June 2025). Reuters summary of Bank of America Institute analysis.
  • Labor context (Sept–Nov 2025). BLS Employment Situation and release-schedule notices following the federal shutdown.

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How Can We Help You?

For Construction Professionals: Ready to take the next step in your career? Connect with The Birmingham Group’s expert construction recruiters to discuss your goals or browse our latest construction jobs across the U.S.

For Hiring Managers: Need proven leaders who deliver results? Submit a search request and let’s start building your dream team.