From Engineering News Record (11/21/12):
Recovery! Finally! Yes! But how long will it last? Perhaps only until next January, if politics intervenes. While construction-market fundamentals are saying yes to recovery, federal politics is saying maybe.
Here is what the economists are saying: McGraw-Hill Construction is forecasting a 6% increase in new construction starts in 2013, following a 5% increase this year. FMI Corp. predicts new construction put-in-place will increase 8% next year, following this year’s 5% increase. The Portland Cement Association, looking at the same put-in-place numbers adjusted for inflation, sees only a 1.3% increase next year. The National Association of Home Builders says the rebound in the housing market is on solid ground but that the big numbers are still a year or two away. ARTBA predicts that highway work will remain flat.