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, July 24, 2018—Associated Builders and Contractors joined a coalition of construction and business associations urging President Trump to eliminate government-mandated project labor agreements and allow all qualified contractors to compete for federal and federally assisted taxpayer-funded construction projects.

WASHINGTON, June 19—Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released the following statement from Sam Melamed, CEO of the ABC Insurance Trust, following the U.S. Department of Labor’s release of its final rule on Association Health Plans (AHPs).

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.

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 27— Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today congratulated R. Alexander Acosta on being confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in a statement from President and CEO Michael Bellaman.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 23– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today welcomed news that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) burdensome and costly overtime final rule. Prior to the injunction, the rule was scheduled to go into effect on Dec. 1 and would have doubled the current minimum salary threshold for employees that are exempt from overtime pay and automatically increased it every three years.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 25– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today applauded a preliminary injunction against the Obama administration’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule, commonly referred to as “blacklisting,” issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas late Monday night. The preliminary injunction prevents the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council from implementing the rule, which was scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 25.

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8—Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), TEXO and a coalition of stakeholders today filed suit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) final rule on Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, commonly referred to as the “electronic injury reporting and anti-retaliation final rule.” The suit immediately challenges the anti-retaliation provisions of the final rule that will limit post-accident drug testing and safety programs that contribute to construction jobsite safety. ABC is seeking to prevent these provisions from taking effect on Aug. 10.

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 11 – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released the following statement in reaction to the release of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) final rule on Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, commonly referred to as “electronic recordkeeping.”

WASHINGTON, March 24—The Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) has concerns with the final rule on respirable crystalline silica released today by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It appears, upon initial review, that the 1,772-page final rule contains some of the same problematic provisions that the CISC previously identified and shared with the agency. CISC has been a highly engaged participant in the rulemaking process since OSHA put forth the proposed rule two and a half years ago.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 23 – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today issued the following statement in response to the release of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final “persuader rule.” The rule will greatly limit the ability of employers, particularly small businesses, to obtain advice from labor relations experts, and in turn deprive employees of their right to obtain balanced information about union representation.

Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced another victory in its fight against government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects.

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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