2020 Ends with Decline in Glass-Related Construction

Nonresidential glass and glazing spending was down at the end of 2020, according to Key Media & Research (KMR), a leading data and information provider to the glass industry. Architectural glass-related construction activity declined by 3.8% in December compared to a year ago.

KMR’s glass and glazing activity figures are developed from the U.S. Census Bureau’s monthly construction spending report, with weighting and models applied to industry-relevant subsectors.

Overall nonresidential construction spending declined 4.8% during the same period, so the subsectors most relevant to glass were less severe than the others.

Commercial-related glass construction was mostly responsible for the decline in industry activity, largely due to a 24% dip in lodging construction and a near-4% drop in office building. Architectural glass and glazing spending in commercial as a whole was down 6%.

Institutional-related work was also down, though by only 1.4%. While construction activity related to healthcare declined by more than 6%, glass and glazing spending in the educational category increased by nearly 1%. Construction on public safety buildings continued its uptick, with a 27% increase from 2019 to 2020.