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, Oct. 30—Estimated September construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in 30 states 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, Oct. 29—Associated Builders and Contractors announced today that Timothy Mongeau has been appointed as director of workforce development.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26—The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.5 percent annualized rate during the third quarter of 2018, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data released today. This represents the first time there have been two consecutive quarters of 3 percent-plus growth since the beginning of 2015.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10—Prices for inputs to construction rose 0.3 percent in September and are 7.4 percent higher than a year ago, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today. Overall prices for nonresidential construction inputs rose 0.4 percent, reversing last month’s downward trend. Among individual subcategories, softwood lumber prices are down 0.4 percent, yet are up 5.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. Crude petroleum and natural gas prices are both up on a monthly basis, 8.7 and 1.1 percent, respectively. 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5—The U.S. construction industry added 23,000 net new positions in September, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1— National nonresidential construction spending expanded 0.7 percent in August to its highest level since the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting the data in 2002, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis released today. Total nonresidential spending stood at $762.7 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate in August, which represents an increase of 8.4 percent compared to one year ago. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.2 percent in August largely due to a 1.3 percent decline in power-related spending, the largest private construction spending category, and public nonresidential spending increased 2 percent.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2—Estimated August construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in every state except Colorado 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.

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

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