The government shutdown has halted the flow of key economic data, including new releases of construction employment, unemployment, job openings, and spending data. However, data from Dodge Construction Network continues to give us some insight into how the industry is likely to fair in the coming months and years.
While static numbers from previously released reports by the U.S.’s Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics showed both month-over-month and year-over-year dips in construction employment, job openings and spending, forward looking indicators suggest future normalization as well as an upswing for our industry—at least in certain areas.
“Planning momentum remained steadfast for data centers, healthcare, and public buildings throughout September and will correlate to stronger construction spending in early 2027,” said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network, in a release accompanying the latest Dodge Momentum Index.
Martin went on to say that owners and developers “after a prolonged period of uncertainty” have begun “advancing projects into planning,” and that “activity is expected to normalize in future months.” However, it appears more uncertainty is on the horizon.
The federal government, as of the publishing of this article, has been closed for eight days. It is officially the fourth longest shutdown in U.S. history. The longest shutdown, 35 days, occurred during the first Trump administration and was followed by a drop in construction spending, supply chain disruptions (due, at least in part, to the closure of agencies like the Federal Maritime Commission), and construction delays, some reportedly as long as four months that resulted in accompanying cash flow and staffing challenges. We are likely to expect much of the same this time around.
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