2014 Annual Capital Expenditures Survey

In 2014, U.S. businesses (nonfarm) invested $1.6 trillion in new and used buildings, structures, machinery and equipment (including computer software), up $110.8 billion (7.4 percent) from 2013. Investment spending in the mining sector totaled $228.7 billion in 2014, up $26.5 billion (13.1 percent) from 2013, with the oil and gas extraction industry accounting for $196.0 billion of the total spending, up $29.1 billion (17.5 percent) from 2013.

The Census Bureau’s Annual Capital Expenditures Survey provides estimates of all business expenditures during the year for new and used structures and equipment chargeable to asset accounts for which depreciation or amortization accounts are ordinarily maintained. Expenditures also include capitalized leasehold improvements and capitalized interest charges on loans used to finance capital projects.

Percent change in Consumer Price Index by expenditure category, July 2014 to July 2015

Over the 12 months ended July 2015, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.2 percent. The index for food rose 1.6 percent over the past year, while the energy index fell 14.8 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.8 percent over the year.

From July 2014 to July 2015, the index for food at home rose 0.9 percent and the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 3.1 percent. The index for fruits and vegetables declined 1.9 percent over the past year, while the index for cereals and bakery products rose 1.3 percent. The index for food away from home increased 2.7 percent.

More from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

State Government Revenues Exceed Expenditures in 2013

New Government Finance Statistics from Annual Survey of State Government Finances and Annual Survey of Public Pensions       Total state government revenue rose by 16.3 percent, from $1.9 trillion in 2012 to $2.2 trillion in 2013, according to the latest findings on state government finances from the U.S. Census Bureau.         Nearly three-quarters of that increase (73.9 percent) is attributable to the growth in insurance trust revenue, which grew by 89.7 percent, from $255.8 billion in 2012 to $485.2 billion in 2013, and is comprised mostly of pension systems administered by state governments. These insurance trust figures reflect the market value of investments, meaning that they are affected by fluctuations in capital markets and not solely by governments’ fiscal policies.Total expenditures for state governments were $2.0 trillion, an increase of 1.2 percent from 2012.       “Unlike in 2012, total revenues exceeded total expenses,” said Kevin Deardorff, chief of the Census Bureau’s Economy-Wide Statistics Division.

BLS Releases Consumer Expenditures: 2012

Average expenditures per consumer unit in 2012 were $51,442, an increase of 3.5 percent from 2011 levels, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This surpassed the spending peak recorded in 2008, after which the effects of the recession led to a low of $48,109 in 2010. The 2012 calendar year increase in spending outpaced the 2.1-percent increase in prices for goods and services during the same period, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). This contrasts with 2010-2011, when the increase in average expenditures mirrored the increase in prices. Read more here.