WASHINGTON, June 30—It would take 14 years for federal and state government-registered apprenticeship programs to educate the 650,000 workers the construction industry needs to hire just in 2022, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data from 2021. DOL data indicate that the construction industry’s federal government-registered apprenticeship system produced just 23,881 completers of its four-to-five-year apprenticeship programs, and in addition, construction industry apprenticeship programs registered with state governments produced an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 completers in FY 2021.

WASHINGTON, June 17—Associated Builders and Contractors, in reaction to the Biden administration’s announcement today of its Talent Pipeline Challenge initiative, released the following statement highlighting how exclusionary and anti-competitive measures promoted by the Biden administration will exacerbate the skilled labor shortage.

WASHINGTON, June 14—Construction input prices rose 2.3% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 2.3% for the month.

WASHINGTON, June 13—Associated Builders and Contractors and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) today announced a collaborative partnership to work together to ensure construction jobsites are inclusive for every construction professional, promote careers in construction to the LGBTQ+ community and collaborate to pass legislation and policies that advance fair and open competition.

WASHINGTON, June 14—Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to nine months in May from 8.8 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted May 17 to June 3. The reading is up one month from May 2021.

WASHINGTON, June 3—The construction industry added 36,000 jobs on net in May, 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 283,000 jobs, an increase of 3.8%.

WASHINGTON, June 1—The construction industry registered 449,000 job openings in April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey. The JOLTS survey defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 23,000 last month and are up 120,000 from the same time last year.

WASHINGTON, June 1—National nonresidential construction spending was down 0.4% in April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $844.4 billion for the month. Despite the monthly setback, nonresidential construction spending is up 6.6% from a year ago.