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, 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.

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.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11—Construction input prices fell 0.5% in November 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 fell 0.4% for the month.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4—The construction industry added 27,000 net new jobs in November, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the last seven months, the industry has added 804,000 jobs, recovering 74% of the losses incurred during earlier stages of the pandemic.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1—National nonresidential construction spending was virtually unchanged in October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, spending totaled $792.4 billion for the month.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18―Associated Builders and Contractors’ Board of Directors elected Steve Klessig, vice president of architecture and engineering, Keller Inc., to serve as the 2020 ABC national chair during a meeting at the association’s annual Leadership Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13—Construction input prices remained virtually unchanged in October 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 also remained unchanged for the month.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8—Apprenticeships are a key part of Associated Builders and Contractors’ commitment to an all-of-the-above approach for developing a safe, skilled and productive workforce that meets the current and future needs of the construction industry. During the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Week, Nov. 8-14, ABC celebrates the value of earn-while-you-learn opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, students, non-graduates and people laid off during the pandemic or seeking new careers, re-entry to the workforce or a second chance.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11—Construction input prices fell 0.6% in August and are down 0.9% year-over-year, 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 0.4% for the month and are down 0.4% compared to August 2018.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9—Construction input prices expanded 0.8% in July but are down 0.6% year-over-year, 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 also increased 0.8% for the month but have declined 0.3% on a year-ago basis.

WASHINGTON, July 18—U.S. construction industry leaders remained upbeat regarding nonresidential construction’s near-term prospects in May 2019, according to the Construction Confidence Index released today by Associated Builders and Contractors.

WASHINGTON, May 29—In April, for the second month in a row, estimated not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in 49 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. Mississippi was the only state with an increase, where construction unemployment rose from 9.2% in April 2018 to 10% in the most recent report.

WASHINGTON, May 23—Construction industry leaders remained upbeat with respect to nonresidential construction prospects in March 2019, according to the latest Construction Confidence Index released today by Associated Builders and Contractors.

  WASHINGTON, May 21—Associated Builders and Contractors reports that its monthly Construction Backlog Indicator expanded to 9.5 months in March 2019, up 0.7 months or 8.8% since February 2019 when CBI stood at 8.8 months.

WASHINGTON, April 1—According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released today, national nonresidential construction spending rose 1.2 percent in February. Seasonally adjusted nonresidential spending totaled $773.8 billion, a 4.8 percent increase over the same time last year.

LONG BEACH, California, March 29—Twenty-one teams of undergraduate students from colleges and universities nationwide put their construction project leadership skills to the test during Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual Construction Management Competition at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California, March 24-28. The four-person teams, which were assigned to complete the same construction management project over two days, received awards in five categories at the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony at the convention’s conclusion. 

WASHINGTON, March 28—Associated Builders and Contractors today voiced its strong support for the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1858/S. 907), which will benefit taxpayers by encouraging more qualified construction companies to compete for federal and federally funded construction projects. The bill, introduced by Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), prevents federal agencies and recipients of federal funding from requiring contractors to sign controversial project labor agreements as a condition of winning federal or federally assisted construction contracts.  

LONG BEACH, California, March 29—Associated Builders and Contractors today announced that Lance Arvel, business development, Group Contractors, LLC, received ABC’s annual Young Professional of the Year Award. Arvel was honored during the Careers in Construction Awards at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California.

LONG BEACH, California, March 29—Associated Builders and Contractors announced the winners of the 32nd annual National Craft Championships today during its Careers in Construction Awards at the conclusion of ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California.

LONG BEACH, California, March 28—Associated Builders and Contractors honored 92 projects collectively worth nearly $3.7 billion at the 29th annualExcellence in Construction® Awards gala during ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California. The EIC awards program is the industry’s leading competition that honors both general and specialty contractors for innovative and high-quality merit shop construction projects.

LONG BEACH, California, March 28—Associated Builders and Contractors announced the winners of the 2018 National Safety Excellence Awards during the 29th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California. A total of 42 ABC member companies were recognized for their safety performance at a gala on March 27.

LONG BEACH, California, March 29—Associated Builders and Contractors announced today that Clemon Prevost, a senior talent development specialist for Fluor’s U.S. Gulf Coast Craft Training Center in Pasadena, Texas, was named the 2019 Craft Instructor of the Year. Prevost was honored during the Careers in Construction Awards at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California.  

LONG BEACH, California, March 28—Associated Builders and Contractors announced that Adrian Rios of McCullough Construction in Arcata, California, was named the 2019 Craft Professional of the Year. Rios was honored during the Careers in Construction Awards at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California.

LONG BEACH, California, March 28—Associated Builders and Contractors has named the winners of the National Diversity Excellence Awards, an annual recognition of ABC members that display exemplary diversity leadership in their workforce, supply chain and community with best-in-class recruitment policies, retention practices and education and mentoring programs. The winners were honored at the 29th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards during ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California.

LONG BEACH, California, March 28—Associated Builders and Contractors named MAREK, headquartered in Houston, as its 2018 Contractor of the Year, an award that recognizes companies for corporate integrity, commitment to safety, professional development and expert craftsmanship. Mike Holland, chief operating officer of MAREK, accepted the honor at the 29th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards gala during ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California, March 27.

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

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

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