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Government spending, which had been helping to prop up the economy, has started to draw back.
The outlook for retail construction, which Raleigh, N.C.-based FMI Corp. includes in the broader category of commercial construction, indicates that the sector is in for another slow year.
Office construction will fall from its 2008 high of $70.3 billion down to $40 billion at its low in 2011.
Health care construction will continue to be one of the highest performing construction markets for 2010.
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Religious building construction is a relatively small market, historically averaging about 2.2 percent of total nonresidential construction.
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Education facility construction is the largest component of nonresidential construction put in place, hitting a record total of $104,777,000 in 2008.
Despite slow 2007 holiday shopping numbers, most large retailers are planning significant expansion for 2008.
Job losses, especially in the financial sector, will continue to put downward pressure on demand for office construction throughout 2009.
First introduced in 1983, Cabbage Patch dolls incited riots in retail stores and went on to become a household brand, generating nearly $2 billion in sales the following year.
Health-care construction, which includes hospitals; medical office buildings; and special-care facilities, such as nursing homes, has enjoyed a steady growth phase for the past six years and promises to be one of the strongest markets for 2009.