ABC issues news releases on the latest workforce, policy and industry issues, as well as construction-related economic data and trends. Commercial and industrial construction economic analyses include federal data on construction spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index. 

In addition, ABC produces the Construction Backlog Indicator, the only economic indicator that reflects the amount of work that will be performed by commercial and industrial construction contractors in the months ahead, and the Construction Confidence Index, a diffusion index that signals construction contractors’ expectations for sales, profit margins and staffing levels. Methodology for both indicators can be found hereABC construction economic releases are published according to this schedule for 2023 

For media inquiries, please contact Erika Walter, ABC’s director of media relations at [email protected] or (202)905-2104 

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News Releases

ABC: Inflation Reduction Act Tax Policies Undermine Taxpayer Investments in Clean Energy Construction Projects

Monday, November 7, 2022 8:05 AM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7—Associated Builders and Contractors has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service regarding implementation of tax credits for clean energy construction projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, contingent upon new controversial prevailing wage, apprenticeship and domestic content requirements.

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October Construction Employment Ticks Up by 1,000, Says ABC

Friday, November 4, 2022 9:18 AM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4—The construction industry added 1,000 jobs on net in October, 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 risen by 266,000 jobs, an increase of 3.6%.

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ABC: State Construction Unemployment Is Down in 42 States From a Year Ago

Thursday, November 3, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3—The not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate dropped 1.1% in September 2022 from a year ago, down from 4.5% to 3.4%, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors. Forty-two states had lower unemployment rates over the same period, Arkansas and Wisconsin were unchanged and six states were higher. Almost half of the states had estimated construction unemployment rates at or below 3%.

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ABC Joins Lawsuit Challenging Connecticut’s Ban on ‘Captive Audience’ Meetings

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 2:05 PM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1—Today, Associated Builders and Contractors and ABC of Connecticut joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several other organizations in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court District of Connecticut challenging an unconstitutional labor law passed by the state of Connecticut.

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ABC: Construction Job Openings Increased by 36,000 in September

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 11:09 AM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1—The construction industry had 422,000 job openings in September, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 36,000 last month and are up 74,000 from a year ago.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Increases Slightly in September, Says ABC

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 10:24 AM

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1National nonresidential construction spending was up by 0.5% in September, 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 $883.9 billion for the month.

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Investment in Structures Falls Again in Third Quarter Even as US Economy Expands, Says ABC

Thursday, October 27, 2022 9:52 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27—The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.6% annualized rate in the third quarter of 2022, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Investment in nonresidential structures decreased at an annual rate of 15.3% for the quarter and has now contracted in 10 of the past 12 quarters.

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ABC, Lawmakers and Industry Groups Call on President Biden to Withdraw His Inflationary PLA Mandate Policies

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 9:00 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19—Associated Builders and Contractors has submitted more than 40 pages of comments to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council calling on the Biden administration to withdraw a controversial proposed rule that would require anti-competitive and inflationary project labor agreements on federal construction contracts of $35 million or more.

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ABC: Enhancing Inclusion Creates Needed Change in the Construction Industry

Monday, October 17, 2022 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced its strong support of the second annual Construction Inclusion Week, which kicks off today, and the need to champion and foster inclusion, diversity and equity throughout the construction industry.

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ABC: Construction Input Prices Inched Down in September; Up 41% Since February 2020

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 9:41 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12—Construction input prices dipped 0.1% in September 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 fell 0.1% for the month.

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ABC Opposes the Biden Administration’s New Independent Contractor Proposed Rule

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 1:40 PM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11—Associated Builders and Contractors today responded to the U.S. Department of Labor’s announcement of a proposed rule to rescind and replace a commonsense, ABC-supported final regulation on independent contractors.

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Jumps in September; Contractor Confidence Remains Steady

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11—Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 9.0 months in September, according to an ABC member survey conducted Sept. 20 to Oct. 5. The reading is 1.4 months higher than in September 2021.

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Nonresidential Construction Employment Increases By 13,000 in September, Says ABC

Friday, October 7, 2022 9:32 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7—The construction industry added 19,000 jobs on net in September, 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 risen by 292,000 jobs, or 3.9%. 

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ABC: Construction Job Openings Up By 54,000 in August

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 11:04 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4—The construction industry had 407,000 job openings in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 54,000 last month and are up by 45,000 from the same time last year.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Down 0.4% in August, Says ABC

Monday, October 3, 2022 10:57 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3National nonresidential construction spending was down 0.4% in August, 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 $859.3 billion for the month.

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Survey: 97% of ABC Contractors Say Biden’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Policies Would Make Federal Construction More Expensive

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:54 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28—According to a September 2022 survey of ABC contractor members published today, 98% oppose President Biden’s proposed rule mandating project labor agreements on federal construction projects of $35 million or more. PLA schemes needlessly increase costs and exacerbate the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage because they exclude almost nine out of 10 workers from participating in these contracts.

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ABC’s 2022 Tech Report Features Real-World Journeys in Construction Innovation

Monday, September 26, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26—Associated Builders and Contractors today released its second annual construction technology report comprised of case studies that spotlight specific technologies and innovation best practices that ABC member contractors are utilizing to strengthen their value proposition. The report also features safety technology survey data from ABC contractors.

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ABC: Imminent Rail Strike Would Pulverize Fragile US Economy and Supply Chain

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 8:19 PM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement regarding the devastating effects of a looming rail strike on the already weak U.S. economy and supply chain.

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Monthly Construction Input Prices Dip in August, But Are Up 17% From a Year Ago, Says ABC

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 9:34 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14—Construction input prices decreased 1.4% in August 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 fell 1.4% for the month as well.

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ABC’s Contractor Confidence Rebounds; Construction Backlog Indicator Flat in August

Tuesday, September 13, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13—Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator remained unchanged at 8.7 months in August, according to an ABC member survey conducted Aug. 22 to Sept. 7. The reading is a full month higher than in August 2021.

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ABC: New NLRB Joint Employer Proposal Will Harm Small Businesses

Tuesday, September 6, 2022 1:02 PM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement on the National Labor Relations Board’s new joint employer proposed rule under the National Labor Relations Act.

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Construction Employment Increases by 16,000 in August, Says ABC

Friday, September 2, 2022 9:43 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2—The construction industry added 16,000 jobs on net in August, 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 risen by 311,000 jobs or 4.2%.

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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Increases by a Modest 0.8% in July

Thursday, September 1, 2022 10:39 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1—National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.8% in July, 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 $847.6 billion for the month.

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ABC: Suicide Prevention Is a National Priority for Construction

Thursday, September 1, 2022 7:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1—On the first day of Suicide Prevention Month 2022, Associated Builders and Contractors calls on the entire construction industry to strengthen total human health among its workers and decrease the number of deaths by suicide.

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Construction Job Openings Up by 22,000 in July, Says ABC

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 10:47 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30—The construction industry had 375,000 job openings in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 22,000 last month and are up 38,000 from the same time last year.

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ABC Members Exempt from Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate, 11th Circuit Rules

Friday, August 26, 2022 10:34 PM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement from Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, on the 11th Circuit Court decision on vaccination mandates for federal contractors announced on Friday evening.

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President Biden’s Inflationary PLA Schemes Hurt Taxpayers and Construction Job Creators

Thursday, August 18, 2022 10:09 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement in response to the publication of a proposed rule, Federal Acquisition Regulation: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects, implementing President Biden’s Executive Order 14063, which requires federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subjected to controversial project labor agreements.

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ABC Announces 2022-2023 Tech Alliance Members

Monday, August 15, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the members of its third annual Tech Alliance—a consortium of firms that create construction technology and innovative solutions for ABC contractor members, the majority of which primarily perform work in the industrial and commercial sectors.

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House Passage of Democrats’ Reconciliation Package Fails Job Creators and Hardworking Taxpayers

Friday, August 12, 2022 10:07 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12—Associated Builders and Contractors released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed Senate Democrats’ $740 billion tax-and-spend bill.

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Monthly Construction Input Prices Decreased 2% in July, Up 17% From a Year Ago, Says ABC

Thursday, August 11, 2022 9:21 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11—Construction input prices decreased 1.8% in July 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 decreased 1.8% for the month as well.

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Contractor Confidence Index Waver in July

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, August 9—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell 0.2 months in July and stands at 8.7 months, according to an ABC member survey conducted July 20 to Aug. 3. The reading is up 0.2 months from July 2021.

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ABC: Democrats’ Reckless Reconciliation Package Will Worsen Inflation, Not Curb It

Saturday, August 6, 2022 6:37 PM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement on Senate Democrats’ “Inflation Reduction Act,” a $740 billion tax-and-spending spree scheduled to pass in a partisan political process at a time when our economy is pointed toward recession.

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ABC: Construction Employment Increases By 32,000 in July

Friday, August 5, 2022 9:17 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5—The construction industry added 32,000 jobs on net in July, 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 increased by 311,000 jobs, or 4.2%.

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ABC Urges Support for Senate Resolution That Preserves Construction Permitting Reforms, Reduces Costs and Delays

Thursday, August 4, 2022 7:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4—Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen issued the following statement regarding today’s vote on a Congressional Review Act resolution introduced by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to overturn the Biden administration’s National Environmental Policy Act rule:

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ABC: Construction Unemployment Is Under 2% in 10 States

Wednesday, August 3, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3—The not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate plunged 3.8% in June 2022 from June 2021, down from 7.5% to 3.7%. Meanwhile, all 50 states had lower unemployment rates over the same period, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors. Ten states had an estimated construction unemployment rate under 2%; the highest unemployment rate was 6.5% in New Mexico.

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Construction Job Openings Decreased by 71,000 in June; US Economy Poised to Slow, Says ABC

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 11:37 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2—The construction industry had 334,000 job openings in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 71,000 last month but are up 13,000 from the same time last year.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Falls 0.5% in June, Says ABC

Monday, August 1, 2022 10:42 AM

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1—National nonresidential construction spending was down by 0.5% in June, 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 $829.4 billion for the month.

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ABC: Democrats’ Reconciliation Deal Would Plunge US Into Recession

Thursday, July 28, 2022 1:23 PM

WASHINGTON, July 28—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement regarding the Senate Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree.

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U.S. Economy Contracts in Second Quarter, Investment in Structures Falls Again, Says ABC

Thursday, July 28, 2022 9:17 AM

WASHINGTON, July 28—The U.S. economy contracted at a 0.9% annualized rate in the second quarter of 2022, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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ABC: Construction Materials Prices Increased in June, Up 20% From a Year Ago

Thursday, July 14, 2022 9:32 AM

WASHINGTON, July 14—Construction input prices increased 1.9% in June 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 increased 1.8% for the month.

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ABC to Congressional Democrats: Do Not Subject Small Businesses to Your Reckless Tax Hikes

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 10:00 AM

WASHINGTON, July 13—Associated Builders and Contractors today urged Congressional Democrats not to raise taxes on small, individual and family-owned businesses as part of any effort to enact a partisan reconciliation bill.  

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Inches Lower in June; Contractor Confidence Falters

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, July 12— Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell 0.1 months in June and stands at 8.9 months, according to an ABC member survey conducted June 21 to July 5. The reading is up 0.4 months from June 2021.

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Nonresidential Construction Employment Increases in June, Says ABC

Friday, July 8, 2022 9:38 AM

WASHINGTON, July 8—The construction industry added 13,000 jobs on net in June, 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 risen by 292,000 jobs, an increase of 4.0%. 

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Construction Job Openings Decline in May, Says ABC

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 11:36 AM

WASHINGTON, July 6—The construction industry registered 434,000 job openings in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings 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 decreased by 6,000 in May but are up 126,000 from the same month last year.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Slightly Dips in May, Says ABC

Friday, July 1, 2022 10:23 AM

WASHINGTON, July 1—National nonresidential construction spending was down by 0.6% in May, 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 $832.5 billion for the month.

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ABC: Government-Registered Apprenticeship System Woefully Inadequate to Meet Construction’s Skilled Workforce Shortage

Thursday, June 30, 2022 9:55 AM

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.

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ABC to White House: Abandon Exclusionary Policies That Reject 87% of Construction Workers

Friday, June 17, 2022 11:57 AM

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.

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Rises in May; Contractor Confidence Falters

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 9:55 AM

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.

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Construction Input Prices Are Up 21% From a Year Ago, Says ABC

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 9:29 AM

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.

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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Adds 19,400 Jobs in May

Friday, June 3, 2022 9:21 AM

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%.

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