Washington, D.C. — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) reports that the nation's Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) for July rose 8.9 percent to 6.1 months from 5.6 months in June. The CBI is a gauge on the amount of construction work to be completed, measured in time, currently under contract.   “While the magnitude of the monthly increase was significant and impressive, June was the lowest point for the CBI since ABC began collecting national data in November 2008.   At that time, the CBI stood at 7.1 months, or 14 percent above its current level of 6.1 months,” said ABC … Read more

Reno-Sparks, NV & Wenatchee, WA Have Worst Job Losses, Columbus, IN and Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH Again Have Largest Increases in Construction Employment ARLINGTON, VA – Construction workers in communities across the country continued to suffer extreme job losses this July according to a new analysis of metropolitan area employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. That analysis found construction employment declined in 319 of the nation’s largest communities while only 11 areas saw increases and six saw no change in construction employment between July 2008 and July 2009. “These figures make … Read more

Companies With and Without Stimulus Projects Hiring at Same Rate, In Part Because of “Disappointingly” Slow Distribution on Non-Transportation Stimulus Construction Dollars ARLINGTON, VA — July 30 — The stimulus plan appears to be having little influence on construction companies’ ability to expand payrolls to date according to a new industry analysis of the impact of the federal program’s construction spending released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The “disappointingly” slow pace of construction spending outside of the transportation sector is one of the main reasons for the relatively small impact on new hiring, the group noted. “While … Read more