ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator is the only economic indicator that reflects the amount of work that will be performed by commercial and industrial construction contractors in the months ahead. The Construction Confidence Index is a diffusion index that signals construction contractors’ expectations for sales, profit margins and staffing levels. View the methodology for both indicators. 

 

News Releases

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News Releases

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26—Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen today issued the following statement about key provisions in the National Labor Relations Board’s joint employer final rule, which will go into effect April 27, 2020:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20—Confidence among U.S. construction industry leaders held steady in December after surging in November, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors Construction Confidence Index released today. The average American contractor enters 2020 with confidence: Sales expectations, profit margins and staffing levels all remained above the growth expectations threshold, indicating a strong start to 2020. 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19—Construction input prices rose 0.3% in January compared to December 2019 and are up 1.9% year over year, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices were flat for the month and are up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.4 months in December 2019, a 4.2% decline from November’s reading. This appears to be due primarily to seasonal factors. 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17—Associated Builders and Contractors and leading electrical manufacturer Southwire, headquartered in Carrollton, Georgia, today announced a strategic partnership that will provide ABC chapters and contractor members with innovative, productive electrical solutions.  

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7—The construction industry added 44,000 net new jobs in January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has expanded by 142,000 jobs, an increase of 1.9%.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 — Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen today issued the following statement on the passage of the deceptively named Protecting the Right to Organize Act, H.R. 2474, in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 224 to 194:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4—Associated Builders and Contractors President and Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Bellaman today issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5—In December 2019, estimated not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in 24 states, rose in 25 states and were unchanged in one state (New York) on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3—National nonresidential construction spending declined 1.2% in December 2019 but is up 4.4% on a year-ago basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, spending totaled $779.6 billion in December.

ABC construction economic releases are published according to this schedule in 2023

For media inquiries, please contact Erika Walter, ABC director of media relations, at [email protected].

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