The changing input structure of the US construction industry: A longitudinal analysis

Eleven input-output tables are used for analysing the technological changes of the US construction industry from 1947 to 2002. Over the years, the industry has been characterized by a significant input shift that reflects the evolution of the USA towards services and away from a manufacturing-based economy. This evolution is also reflected in the 1997 adoption of a new classification system of the US industries by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Changes are also found in analysing the direct requirements of two key sectors of the industry, residential and highway construction, during the 1967-1997 period. New materials and labour-saving machinery have been some of the major drivers in the changing input structure of the two considered sectors. The study demonstrates the importance of using very long series of data and input-output tables with more than 400 industries for the further understanding of the secular changes of the construction industry and its constituent sectors.