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, Oct. 3—National 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 7.2 months in November, a decrease of 0.5 months from October’s reading, according to an ABC member survey conducted from Nov. 20 to Dec. 2. Backlog is 1.7 months lower than in November 2019.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19—Leaders of the U.S. construction industry regained a degree of confidence in October 2019 with respect to near-term prospects for sales and profit margins, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors Construction Confidence Index released today. However, contractors became slightly less confident regarding their staffing levels during the next six months.

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, Sept. 24—Construction contractors remained confident during the second quarter of 2018, according to the latest Construction Confidence Index released today by Associated Builders and Contractors.

WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 29— Expectations for 2017 have become less optimistic, but the majority of industrial and commercial construction contractors still expect growth this year, according to the latest Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Confidence Index (CCI). Although all three diffusion indices in the survey — profit margins, sales and staffing levels—fell by more than five points, they remain well above the threshold of 50, which signals that construction activity will continue to be one of the few significant drivers of economic growth.

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 3—Eighty-eight percent of Florida construction firms plan to increase hiring over the next six months and 84 percent anticipate experiencing more difficulty finding appropriately skilled labor, according to a report released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Florida. The inaugural Florida Contractor Confidence Index (Florida CCI) showed a statewide confidence reading for improving sales of 81, indicating the typical Florida contractor expects to be much busier in 2017.

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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