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]rg or (202)905-2104 

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News Releases

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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Construction Job Openings Increase in April, Says ABC

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 11:34 AM

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.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Falls in April, Says ABC

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 11:23 AM

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.

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ABC to Biden Administration: Withdraw the DOL’s Davis-Bacon Proposed Rule

Wednesday, May 18, 2022 7:55 AM

WASHINGTON, May 18—In a comment letter filed on May 17, Associated Builders and Contractors urged President Biden’s U.S. Department of Labor to withdraw an inflationary and flawed proposed rule revising Davis-Bacon Act and Related Acts regulations that apply to federal and federally assisted construction projects funded by taxpayers.

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Inflationary Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wages Cost Taxpayers More for Public Works Projects

Monday, May 16, 2022 10:55 AM

WASHINGTON, May 16—The flawed method used by the federal government to calculate “prevailing wages” under the 91-year-old Davis-Bacon Act adds at least 7.2% to the cost of federal and federally assisted construction projects and inflates wages by 20.2% compared to local market averages, according to a new report from the Beacon Hill Institute. Associated Builders and Contractors has called on the U.S. Department of Labor to modernize its wage determination process for decades, but a proposed rule the agency released on March 18 actually makes this archaic and unscientific process even more inaccurate, inflationary and biased.

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Monthly Construction Input Prices Increase in April, Says ABC

Thursday, May 12, 2022 10:04 AM

WASHINGTON, May 12—Construction input prices increased 0.8% in April 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 rose 0.9% for the month.

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Up in April; Contractor Confidence Down

Tuesday, May 10, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, May 10—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.8 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted from April 20 to May 4. The reading is up 0.9 months from April 2021.

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Nonresidential Construction Employment Dips in April, Says ABC

Friday, May 6, 2022 9:15 AM

WASHINGTON, May 6—The construction industry added 2,000 jobs on net in April, but nonresidential construction employment decreased by 2,000 positions, 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 235,000 jobs, an increase of 3.2%. 

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ABC: Members Invested $1.6 Billion in Construction Workforce Education to Upskill 1.3 Million in 2021

Wednesday, May 4, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, May 4—Associated Builders and Contractors member contractors invested $1.6 billion to provide more than 1.3 million course attendees with craft, leadership and safety education in 2021, according to its 2022 Workforce Development Survey, up from $1.3 billion in 2020. The annual assessment quantifies the scope of ABC members’ workforce development initiatives to advance their employees’ careers in commercial and industrial construction to build the places where Americans live, work, learn, heal and play.  

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Construction Job Openings Increased in March; Demand for Labor Remains Strong, Says ABC

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 11:31 AM

WASHINGTON, May 3—The construction industry had 396,000 job openings in March 2022, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industry job openings increased by 13,000 in March and are up 60,000 from the same time last year.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Down 1% in March; Recession Could Be Around the Corner, Says ABC

Monday, May 2, 2022 11:03 AM

WASHINGTON, May 2—National nonresidential construction spending was down 0.8% in March, 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 $839.2 billion for the month.

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ABC 2022 Safety Performance Report: Top-Performing STEP Members Are Six Times Safer Than Industry Average

Friday, April 29, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, April 29—Associated Builders and Contractors today unveiled its 2022 Safety Performance Report, an annual, comprehensive study of the impact of the STEP Safety Management System and guide to safety best practices on construction jobsites. STEP is a proven system, more than 30 years old, that enables top-performing members to achieve incident rates 645% safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction industry average. The annual study is published to coincide with Construction Safety Week, May 2-6.

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GDP: U.S. Economy Contracts, Investment in Structures Down Again, Says ABC

Thursday, April 28, 2022 10:11 AM

WASHINGTON, April 28—The U.S. economy contracted at a 1.4% annualized rate during the first quarter of 2022. Investment in nonresidential structures declined at an annual rate of 0.9% during the quarter and has contracted nine of the past 10 quarters, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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ABC: State Construction Unemployment Is Down in 45 States From a Year Ago

Wednesday, April 27, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, April 27—The not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate dropped 2.6% in March 2022 from a year ago, down from 8.6% to 6%, while 45 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. This considerable improvement occurred as cases of the omicron variant fell and many states began lifting some or all of their COVID-19 restrictions.

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18 GOP Governors to Biden: Back Off Project Labor Agreement Mandates

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 1:40 PM

WASHINGTON, April 26—Associated Builders and Contractors today applauded a letter sent to President Joe Biden by 16 Republican governors, led by Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Bill Lee of Tennessee, opposing the Biden administration’s policies promoting government-mandated project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects.

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NEPA Rule Will Cause Needless Delays for Small Businesses and Increase Costs for Taxpayers, Says ABC

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 8:54 AM

WASHINGTON, April 19—Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs Ben Brubeck today issued the following statement on the final National Environmental Policy Act rule.

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Construction Input Prices Up 3% in March, 24% Year Over Year, Says ABC

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 9:38 AM

WASHINGTON, April 13—Construction input prices rose 2.9% in March, 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 expanded 2.8% for the month.

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ABC: Construction Backlog Up, Contractor Confidence Down in March

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON, April 12—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.3 months in March, according to an ABC member survey conducted Mar. 22 to April 5. The reading is up 0.5 months from March 2021.

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ABC Sends Letter to White House With 1,200 Signatures Opposing Biden’s PLA Mandate

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 12:07 PM

WASHINGTON, April 6—Today, Associated Builders and Contractors sent the White House a letter with more than 1,200 signatures from member companies and chapters representing the construction industry strongly opposing President Biden’s executive order mandating project labor agreements on federal public works projects exceeding $35 million.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Drops Slightly in February, Says ABC

Friday, April 1, 2022 10:53 AM

WASHINGTON, April 1—National nonresidential construction spending was down 0.1% in February, 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 $844.5 billion for the month.

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Nonresidential Construction Adds 11,300 Jobs in March; Employment Now Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels, Says ABC

Friday, April 1, 2022 9:42 AM

WASHINGTON, April 1—The construction industry added 19,000 jobs on net in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. After 23 months of recovery, construction employment has at last exceeded pre-pandemic levels. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has expanded by 220,000 jobs, an increase of 3.0%. 

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ABC and AFSP Announce Partnership to Address Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 10:22 AM

WASHINGTON, March 30—Associated Builders and Contractors and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention today announced a collaborative partnership to address mental health and suicide prevention throughout the U.S. construction industry.

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ABC Announces the 2022 National Craft Champions

Friday, March 18, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 18—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the winners of the 2022 National Craft Championships at its Careers in Construction Awards ceremony during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio. The 33rd annual competition showcases the skills and expertise of more than 200 of the nation’s top-performing craft professionals. 

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ABC Honors Careers in Construction Award Winners

Friday, March 18, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 18—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the winners of the 2022 National Craft Championships and the ABC Construction Management Competition. The winners were honored on the last day of ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 17.

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Colorado State University Named Overall Winner of the ABC Construction Management Competition

Friday, March 18, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 18—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the winners of its annual Construction Management Competition at ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio, March 15-17. Fourteen teams of undergraduate students from colleges and universities nationwide competed this year, and Colorado State University was named the overall winner of the 2022 competition, with the highest cumulative points in the five competition categories.

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ABC Announces 2021 National Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Excellence Award Winners

Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 17—Associated Builders and Contractors has named the winners of the 2021 National Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Excellence Awards, an annual recognition of ABC members that display exemplary IDE leadership in their company, workforce, supply chain and community with best-in-class recruitment policies, retention practices and training and mentoring programs. The winners were honored at the 32nd annual Excellence in Construction® Awards at ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 16.  

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ABC Names United Group Services Contractor of the Year

Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 17—Associated Builders and Contractors today named United Group Services, headquartered in West Chester, Ohio, its 2022 Contractor of the Year. This award recognizes contractor companies for corporate integrity and commitment to safety, professional development and expert craftsmanship. The award was presented at the 32nd annual Excellence in Construction® Awards gala on March 16 during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio.

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ABC Announces Top Construction Projects, Safety and Diversity Excellence Awards and Contractor of the Year

Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 17—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the award winners in Excellence in Construction,® Safety Excellence and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Excellence and Contractor of the Year. The winners were announced March 16 at ABC Convention 2022 during the 32nd annual Excellence in Construction Awards Gala.

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ABC Announces Award-Winning Construction Projects of 2021

Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 17—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the winners of the Excellence in Construction® Awards—96 projects worth a total of $3.8 billion—during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio. The EIC awards are the construction industry’s leading national competition that honors general and specialty contractors for world-class, safe and innovative construction projects from across the nation.

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ABC Honors Top Safety Leaders in the Construction Contracting Community

Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:50 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 17—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the 37 winning contractors of the 2021 National Safety Excellence Awards for their remarkable achievements in leadership, safety and innovation The awards were presented at the 32nd annual Excellence in Construction® Awards during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 16.

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ABC Names the 2022 Craft Instructor of the Year

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 16—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced Larry Harris, electrical instructor at the Academy of Craft Training in Birmingham, Alabama, was named the 2022 Craft Instructor of the Year. Harris was honored at ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 15.

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ABC Names the 2022 Craft Professional of the Year

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 16—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced Adam Haywood, electrical foreman and safety officer at Premier Power LLC, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was named the 2022 Craft Professional of the Year. Haywood was honored at ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 15.

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ABC Announces Its 2022 Young Professional of the Year

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 16—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced Luke Perry, vice president at Perry Contracting, Cincinnati, received ABC’s 2022 Young Professional of the Year Award. Perry was honored at ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 15.

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ABC Announces Its 2022 Construction Workforce Awards

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 9:55 AM

SAN ANTONIO, March 16—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced the winners of its annual, national Construction Workforce Awards, which includes Craft Instructor of the Year, Craft Professional of the Year and Young Professional of the Year. The winners were announced March 15, the first day of ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio.

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

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 3:04 PM

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.

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Construction Input Prices Rise 2.6% in February, Says ABC

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 10:11 AM

WASHINGTON, March 15—Construction input prices increased 2.6% in February compared to the previous month, 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 rose 2.5% for the month.

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ABC Construction Backlog Indicator Unchanged in February; Contractors Remain Confident

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON, March 15—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator remained unchanged at 8.0 months in February, according to an ABC member survey conducted Feb. 21 to March 8. The reading is down 0.2 months from February 2021.

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Construction Input Prices Rise 2.6% in February, Says ABC

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 9:33 AM

WASHINGTON, March 15—Construction input prices increased 2.6% in February compared to the previous month, 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 rose 2.5% for the month.

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

Friday, March 11, 2022 11:58 AM

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.

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ABC Slams Biden Administration for Promoting Union Preferences in DOT Infrastructure Spending

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 6:59 PM

WASHINGTON, March 8—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement criticizing a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. departments of Labor and Transportation advancing workforce policy initiatives on DOT-funded infrastructure projects, including controversial project labor agreements.

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ABC Announces Its 2022 Top-Performing U.S. Construction Contractors

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 9:45 AM

WASHINGTON, March 8—Associated Builders and Contractors today released its fourth annual Top Performers lists, which ranks its commercial and industrial contractor members that build long-lasting, high-quality construction projects, based on work hours. 

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Construction Employment Surges in February to Near Pre-Pandemic Levels, Says ABC

Friday, March 4, 2022 9:42 AM

WASHINGTON, March 4—The construction industry added 60,000 jobs on net in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the industry has recovered virtually all (99.0%) of the jobs lost during earlier stages of the pandemic.

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ABC Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Tuesday, March 1, 2022 9:30 PM

WASHINGTON, March 1—Associated Builders and Contractors issued the following statement from Michael Bellaman, its president and CEO, in reaction to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Growth Weak in January, Says ABC

Tuesday, March 1, 2022 12:04 PM

WASHINGTON, March 1 — National nonresidential construction spending was up 1.3% in January, 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 $838.9 billion for the month.

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Construction Coalition to Congress: Support Fair and Open Competition

Monday, February 28, 2022 9:47 AM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28—Today, Associated Builders and Contractors and a coalition of 19 associations and organizations representing the construction industry and business community sent a letter to Congress expressing support for the Fair and Open Competition Act (S. 403/H.R. 1284), sponsored by Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C, and strong opposition to government-mandated project labor agreements.

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ABC: Construction Industry Faces Workforce Shortage of 650,000 in 2022

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23—The construction industry will need to attract nearly 650,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2022 to meet the demand for labor, according to a model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors.

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Construction Coalition Opposes Biden Administration Project Labor Agreement Schemes

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 9:55 AM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16—On Feb. 15, Associated Builders and Contractors and 15 associations and organizations representing tens of thousands of companies and millions of employees in the construction industry sent a letter to the White House highlighting concerns with President Joe Biden’s efforts to require controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted construction contracts.

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Monthly Construction Input Prices Rise in January, Says ABC

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 10:27 AM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15—Construction input prices rose 3.5% in January compared to the previous month, 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 increased 3.1% for the month.

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Slips Again in January; Contractor Confidence Inches Lower

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 9:50 AM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 8.0 months in January, according to an ABC member survey conducted Jan. 20 to Feb. 4. The reading is down 0.2 months from December 2021, but up 0.5 months from January 2021.

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Safety Veteran Joins ABC as Senior Director of Health and Safety

Wednesday, February 9, 2022 9:45 AM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced it has hired Joseph Xavier, a safety and workforce expert with more than 30 years of experience, as its senior director of health and safety. Xavier will lead and contribute to the development and deployment of the overall health, safety and environment strategy for the association, its 69 chapters and its more than 21,000 member companies.

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