Nonresidential Construction Spending Inches Up in August, Says ABC

National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% 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 $1.22 trillion. Spending was up on a monthly basis in 10 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending decreased 0.1%, while public nonresidential construction spending was up 0.3% in August. “Nonresidential construction spending inched higher in August, and that’s almost entirely due to ongoing infrastructure investments,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Public spending accounted for all of the nonresidential segment’s monthly increase and has risen … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: ,

ABC: Record Rebound in Construction Job Openings in August

The construction industry had 370,000 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 increased by 138,000 last month but are down by 16,000 from the same time last year. “Construction job openings rebounded sharply in August, exhibiting the largest one-month increase on record,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Much of this surge is likely due to the … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: , ,

Construction Employment Increases In 39 States Between August 2023 And August 2024

Construction employment increased in 39 states in August from a year earlier, while 27 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between July and August, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that tight labor market conditions are making it hard for firms to find enough workers to hire. Between August 2023 and August 2024, 39 states added construction jobs, 10 states and D.C. shed jobs, and employment was unchanged in Georgia. Texas added the most construction employees (36,600 jobs), followed by Florida (36,200 jobs), … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: ,

Midyear Report Shows Construction Industry Stability, Strength in 2024

The U.S. construction industry has shown resilience despite global challenges and the industry is adjusting to new patterns of demand, indicating variations in growth. JLL’s new 2024 Midyear Construction Update and Reforecast details how the year has unfolded so far compared to original predictions, and reforecasts what is expected in the second half of 2024. Construction costs have stabilized in 2024 due to backlog-conscious contractors and improved material conditions. Though construction starts remain slow in some locations, and not all sectors are performing equally well, construction spending is up and some interest rate holdouts are moving on long-deferred projects. Regarding … Read more

Filed under: Economic News, eNewsTagged with: , ,

Construction Input Prices Inch Up in August, but Lower Than 1 Year Ago

Construction input prices increased .1% in August compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices increased .2% for the month. Prices decreased in all three energy subcategories last month. Natural gas prices fell by 29.8%, while unprocessed energy materials and crude petroleum prices declined by 7.5% and 4.2%, respectively. Overall construction input prices are .7% lower than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are down by .9%. “Construction input prices are now down almost a full percentage point over … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: ,