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, 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%.

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%.

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.

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%.

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%. 

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.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4—The construction industry lost 5,000 jobs on net in January, 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 slightly more than 1 million (91%) of the jobs lost during earlier stages of the pandemic.

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, April 3—Construction industry employment declined by 29,000 in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonresidential construction employment declined by 24,600 in March.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7—The construction industry added 44,000 net new jobs in January, 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 142,000 jobs, an increase of 1.9%.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10—The construction industry added 20,000 net new jobs in December 2019, 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 151,000 jobs, an increase of 2.0%. 

WASHINGTON, July 5 – The construction industry added 21,000 net new jobs 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, employment in the industry has expanded by 224,000 jobs, representing an increase of 3.1%. Nonresidential construction employment gained 14,900 net jobs in June and is up 146,700 jobs during the last 12 months. 

WASHINGTON, May 3 – The construction industry added 33,000 net new jobs in April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released today. Compared to the same time last year, industry employment is up by 256,000 jobs, an increase of 3.5 percent.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7—Construction employment expanded by 5,000 net new jobs in November, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data conducted by Associated Builders and Contractors today. During the past 12 months, the industry has added 282,000 net new construction jobs, which translates into a 4 percent increase in total industry-wide employment. 

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.

The U.S. construction industry added 48,000 jobs in December, including 22,800 jobs in nonresidential construction, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary estimate released Jan. 9. November’s estimate was unchanged in this release, remaining at 20,000 net new construction jobs, but nonresidential construction’s November jobs figure was upwardly revised to 7,100 jobs.

The U.S. construction industry added 39,000 jobs in January, including 12,700 net new nonresidential jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary estimate released Feb. 6. December’s estimate was revised downward from 48,000 to 44,000 net new jobs. With revisions, nonresidential construction expanded by 21,200 jobs in December.

Nonresidential construction added 5,000 net new jobs in March, with nonresidential specialty trade contractors leading the way by contributing 4,400 new jobs, according  to the April 3 Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate. As a whole, the U.S. construction industry lost 1,000 jobs in March, while February’s construction employment estimate (29,000 new jobs) was unrevised. The residential sector also regressed in March, losing 2,800 jobs.

The U.S. construction industry added 17,000 jobs in May according to the June 5 preliminary estimate released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. April’s estimate was revised downward from 45,000 to 35,000 net new jobs. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 8,200 jobs in May, with nonresidential specialty trade contractors adding 5,600 jobs and nonresidential building employment expanding by 2,600 jobs. Residential construction employment added 8,500 net new jobs for the month.   

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5—National construction employment remained largely unchanged for the second consecutive month, adding 5,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in April, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

WASHINGTON, D.C. June 2—National construction employment added 11,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in May according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3—According to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, the nation’s construction sector added 11,000 net new jobs in October, matching the revised total from September. Nonresidential construction employment, however, experienced a net decline of 2,000 jobs. The residential sector added approximately 13,000 net new jobs.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1—National construction employment rebounded in August, adding 28,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to today’s release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was the best month for job gains in construction since February, according to analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). 

Washington, July 10--National construction employment added 16,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in June, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).  Overall construction employment expanded 3.1 percent on a year-over-year basis, easily outpacing the year-over-year growth rate of 1.6 percent for all nonfarm industries.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 10—National construction employment surged in February as the industry added 58,000 seasonally adjusted net new jobs, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). February’s data represents the best month for construction job creation since March 2007. Nonresidential construction added nearly two-thirds of net new construction jobs with 38,500 jobs added for the month.

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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