News Releases

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.

ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator

ABC's Construction Confidence Index

Jobs

Materials Prices

People and Awards

NewsReleases Politics and Policy Category

Policy and Politics

Safety and Workforce

Spending

Technology

While the government has reopened, only federal economic data reports that were in progress before the shutdown are being released. At this time, updated schedules for future Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data reporting have not been announced. Please check back for updates.

Search News Releases

Reset

Match exact phrase?

News Releases

ABC Hails Court Decision Blocking Biden Administration’s Independent Contractor Do-Over

March 15, 2022 |
3663 |
News Release 2022, Policy, Politics and Policy, Workforce and Safety

WASHINGTON, March 15—The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas today dealt a blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to delay and rescind the Trump administration’s 2021 independent contractor final rule in a decision applauded by Associated Builders and Contractors, which had sued to block those actions. Under the court’s decision, the ABC-supported rule went into effect as scheduled on March 8, 2021, and remains in effect today.

ABC: Biden’s Proposed Davis-Bacon Act Reforms Are More Pork for Special Interests

March 11, 2022 |
8912 |
Davis-Bacon, News Release 2022, Policy, Politics and Policy

WASHINGTON, March 11—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement from Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, in reaction to the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule, Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations. The 1931 Davis-Bacon Act and related regulations require contractors and subcontractors that perform work on federal and federally funded construction projects to pay a government-determined prevailing wage and benefit rate on an hourly basis to on-site construction workers. The Davis-Bacon Act and 71 active related acts collectively apply to an estimated $217 billion in federal and federally assisted construction spending per year and provide government-determined wage rates for an estimated 1.2 million U.S. construction workers.

ABC Calls for Expanding Apprenticeship Opportunities in Congressional Testimony

July 26, 2018 |
6344 |
News Releases 2018, Politics and Policy

WASHINGTON, July 26—On behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors, Mike Holland, chief operating officer, MAREK Companies, testified today before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about the need to modernize and expand apprenticeship opportunities in the United States. In his testimony, Holland outlined the construction industry’s workforce de

ABC Applauds Rescission of the DOL’s Overreaching Persuader Rule

July 17, 2018 |
6879 |
News Releases 2018, Politics and Policy

WASHINGTON, July 17—Associated Builders and Contractors today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s announcement that it is rescinding the final persuader rule.

ABC Predicts Stable Nonresidential Construction Sector for Remainder of Year

July 16, 2018 |
6350 |
Construction Economics, Construction Spending, News Releases 2018

WASHINGTON, July 16—Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu predicts the nonresidential construction sector will remain stable for the second half of 2018, yet warns of a potential economic downturn in 2020, according to a recent mid-year economic outlook published in Construction Executivemagazine.

Apprenticeships Must Be Expanded to Meet 21st Century Workforce Needs, Says ABC

May 11, 2018 |
8549 |
News Releases 2018, Politics and Policy

WASHINGTON, May 11—According to the final report of the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, apprenticeship programs offer workers a career path with paid, on-the-job training and provide employers with highly trained workers, but they are insufficient to address the growing skills gap in many industries. Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) commended the secretaries of labor, education and commerce for leading the task force comprised of representatives from industry, education and government to generate new ideas to expand the role of apprenticeships and help more individuals achieve the American Dream. The report was presented to the president in a meeting at the White House on May 10.

ABC Highlights Construction Worker Shortage During National Apprenticeship Week

November 15, 2017 |
6126 |
News Releases 2017, Workforce and Safety

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) commends the U.S. Department of Labor for declaring Nov. 13-19 National Apprenticeship Week. It’s the third consecutive year that business, labor, government, education and other partners are highlighting the tremendous job opportunities apprenticeships provide and the need for an infusion of Americans to pursue a skilled trade.

ABC CEO Mike Bellaman Appointed to Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion for all Americans

October 16, 2017 |
55464 |
News Releases 2017, Workforce and Safety

Michael D. Bellaman, president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), has been appointed by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta to the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, created by President Trump’s June 15 Executive Order 13801. “I am excited to join Secretary Acosta’s task force to expand opportunities to citizens nationwide who want to live the American Dream while helping to build and rebuild our country,” said Bellaman. “As the president promised in his election night acceptance speech, every single American will have the opportunity to realize his or her fullest potential under his administration. That sentiment will drive this task force as we work to promote affordable education and rewarding jobs for all Americans.”

ABC Praises Trump Administration Regulatory Rollbacks in SBA Testimony

August 28, 2017 |
27905 |
News Releases 2017, Politics and Policy

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28—Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today praised the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back burdensome regulations that drive up construction costs and hold back small business hiring and expansion. Testifying at the 2017 National Regulatory Fairness Hearing at the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the National Ombudsman on Aug. 28, ABC General Counsel Maury Baskin Esq. of Littler Mendelson P.C. urged action on the “persuader,” overtime and silica rules, the new “joint employer” standard, and other onerous rulemakings and policies.

ABC Calls on Congress to Support Expansion of Construction Apprenticeship Programs

July 26, 2017 |
8201 |
News Releases 2017, Workforce and Safety

WASHINGTON, July 26--Michael Bennett, vice president of the Cianbro Cos., Pittsfield, Maine, today told Congress that industry-driven training programs should play a bigger role in government efforts to close the workforce/skills gap that has left 500,000 construction jobs unfilled in the United States today. Bennett testified on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development to call for support for President Trump’s recent executive order expanding apprenticeships, which would help ensure job seekers get exactly the training required for success in today’s job market.

ABC construction economic releases are published according to this 2025 schedule.

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

Subscribe to ABC’s news releases and/or subscribe to ABC's weekly newsletter, Newsline.

While the government has reopened, only federal economic data reports that were in progress before the shutdown are being released. At this time, updated schedules for future Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data reporting have not been announced. Please check back for updates.

News Releases

ABC Hails Court Decision Blocking Biden Administration’s Independent Contractor Do-Over

ABC: Biden’s Proposed Davis-Bacon Act Reforms Are More Pork for Special Interests

ABC Calls for Expanding Apprenticeship Opportunities in Congressional Testimony

ABC Applauds Rescission of the DOL’s Overreaching Persuader Rule

ABC Predicts Stable Nonresidential Construction Sector for Remainder of Year

Apprenticeships Must Be Expanded to Meet 21st Century Workforce Needs, Says ABC

ABC Highlights Construction Worker Shortage During National Apprenticeship Week

ABC CEO Mike Bellaman Appointed to Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion for all Americans

ABC Praises Trump Administration Regulatory Rollbacks in SBA Testimony

ABC Calls on Congress to Support Expansion of Construction Apprenticeship Programs

Categories

Archives