As part of the 2021 Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES), questions were asked to gather information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business operations. The tables provide the impact on budgeted capital expenditures and the use of capital expenditures to fund investments related to social distancing and safety for U.S. companies with employees. All data are available at the national level by 2-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry sector.

Changes to Budgeted Capital Expenditures Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic

In 2021, 4.7 percent of companies canceled, 7.8 percent postponed, 8.0 percent decreased, and 2.0 increased some of their budgeted capital expenditures during the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 2.2 percent of companies introduced new unbudgeted capital expenditures.

Sector Highlights

Canceled budgeted capital expenditures – Mining (5.7 percent); Manufacturing (5.2 percent); Retail trade (3.4 percent); Information (8.7 percent); Educational services (7.5 percent); Health care and social assistance (4.5 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (5.2 percent); and Accommodation and food services (5.6 percent).

Postponed budgeted capital expenditures - Mining (8.1 percent); Manufacturing (12.9 percent); Retail trade (7.8 percent); Information (5.6 percent); Educational services (9.2 percent); Health care and social assistance (8.8 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (8.4 percent); and Accommodation and food services (10.6 percent).

Decreased budgeted capital expenditures – Mining (6.9 percent); Manufacturing (9.9 percent), Retail trade (6.9 percent); Information (7.7 percent); Educational services (10.6 percent); Healthcare and social assistance (10.0 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (7.0 percent); and Accommodation and food services (9.3 percent).

Increased budgeted capital expenditures – Mining (4.3 percent); Manufacturing (1.9 percent); Retail trade (1.7 percent); Information (0.8 percent); Educational services (4.2 percent); Healthcare and social assistance (3.4 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.8 percent); and Accommodation and food services (3.1 percent).

Introduced new unbudgeted capital expenditures - Mining (0.9 percent); Manufacturing (2.9 percent); Retail trade (1.9 percent); Information (0.5 percent); Educational services (4.1 percent); Healthcare and social assistance (4.3 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.7 percent); and Accommodation and food services (3.9 percent).

Use of Capital Expenditures to Fund Investment Related to Social Distancing or Safety in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Of the companies using capital expenditures to fund investment related to social distancing and safety, 6.2 percent used capital expenditures above what they budgeted for 2021 and 3.2 percent replaced their budgeted capital expenditures to make the investment.

Sector highlights

Investment in addition to budgeted capital expenditures – Mining (1.0 percent); Manufacturing (5.3 percent); Retail trade (6.8 percent); Information (2.8 percent); Educational services (10.2 percent); Health care and social assistance (11.4 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (4.7 percent); and Accommodation and food services (10.6 percent).

Investment replaced budgeted capital expenditures – Mining (3.0 percent); Manufacturing (3.0 percent), Retail trade (3.6 percent); Information (4.8 percent); Educational services (5.0 percent); Health care and social assistance (5.9 percent); Arts, entertainment, and recreation (5.0 percent), and Accommodation and food services (4.9 percent).