ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Rises Again in September on Data Center Strength

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Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.7 months in September, according to an ABC member survey conducted Sept. 21 to Oct. 5. The reading is up 0.2 months on both a monthly and yearly basis.  Commercial and institutional backlog, which dipped in the middle of 2026, rose to the highest level since July 2025. Heavy industrial backlog, while still up 0.5 months over the past year, fell to its lowest level since March. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for staffing increased in September, while the readings for sales and profit margins fell. The readings […]

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Data Center Construction Spending Growing at 149% Annualized Pace Since March

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National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.7% in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.309 trillion. Spending was up on a monthly basis in 11 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending was up 1.0%, while public nonresidential construction spending was up 0.2% in August. “Nonresidential construction spending increased for the fifth consecutive month in August as data center investment accelerates,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Frankly, it’s becoming difficult to contextualize the size and speed of this boom. […]

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ABC: Construction Layoffs Fall to All-Time Low in August

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The construction industry had 251,000 job openings on the last day of August, 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 48,000 last month but are up by 38,000 from the same time last year. “The August JOLTS data indicate that both the demand for and supply of construction workers are decreasing,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Job openings fell to the lowest […]

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Dodge Construction Network: Construction Starts Fall Back in August

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Total construction starts declined 24.8% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.34 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential building starts fell 32% over the month, residential starts decreased 5.2% and nonbuilding declined by 26.7%. On a year-to-date basis, total construction starts were up 15.2% through August. Nonresidential starts were up 23.4%, nonbuilding starts improved by 22.2%, and residential starts were down 1.8% over the same period. For the 12 months ending August 2026, total construction starts were up 14.5% from the 12 months ending August 2025. Residential starts were down 2.4%, nonresidential starts were up 17.9% […]

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RLB North America Releases Q2 2026 Construction Cost Report

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Rider Levett Bucknall has released its second quarter 2026 Quarterly Construction Cost Report, highlighting a period of strategic alignment and healthy stabilization across the North American construction market. Construction cost inflation has settled into a sustainable quarterly pace of approximately 1%, allowing developers to advance long-term capital investments with greater clarity. RLB’s tracking shows an industry grounded in steady progress and structural strength. Driven by a major influx of data center developments, infrastructure assignments, healthcare facilities and educational construction, the national construction backlog indicator rose to 8.8 months this quarter. This robust pipeline provides a substantial runway of work for […]

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