As 2020 approached, national forecasts about the vitality of the U.S. construction economy typically predicted some level or type of slowdown in new starts. Among other items, worries about impacts from international trade disputes and tariff measures helped fuel some skepticism of the construction economy’s ability to maintain momentum.
Last November, Dodge Data & Analytics predicted the volume of 2020 U.S. construction starts would decrease 4%, for a total of about $776.4 billion.