Construction Employment Rises In 43 States & D.C.

  • Posted on

Construction employment increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia in September from a year earlier, while 28 states and D.C. added construction employees from August to September, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the month-over-month dips in construction employment in some parts of the country were likely caused by firms struggling to find enough workers to replace retiring ones amid labor shortages. Between September 2022 and September 2023, 43 states and D.C. added construction jobs, while industry employment declined in seven states. Texas added … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with:

New Crane Index, Quarterly Cost Report Charts Construction Trends in North America

  • Posted on

Rider Levett Bucknall has released its latest Crane Index and Quarterly Cost Report. Together, the two documents provide a perspective on the North American construction industry in 14 key markets. With data current to mid-Q3 2023, the latest RLB quarterly cost report shows that the national average increase in construction costs was 1.55% over the previous quarter, with Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas, New York, Portland and Seattle all experiencing increases over the national average this quarter. Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. experienced gains that were less than the national average. Crane Index notes Boston and Toronto are the only cities … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: , ,

ABC: Monthly Construction Input Prices Increase Slightly

  • Posted on

Construction input prices increased 0.2% in September 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 0.2% for the month, as well. Overall construction input prices are 0.3% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 0.6% higher. Prices increased in all three energy subcategories in September. Crude petroleum prices were up 10.1%, along with unprocessed energy materials prices, which rose 7.5% last month. Natural gas prices were up slightly by 0.1% in September.

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: ,

ABC September Construction Backlog Indicator Dips

  • Posted on

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to nine months in September, according to an ABC member survey conducted Sept. 20 to Oct. 4. The reading is equivalent to one year ago. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index tables for September. View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series. Though it declined last month, the South continues to have the lengthiest backlog, which has been the case since October 2021. Over the past year, only the West has experienced increasing backlog. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for sales and … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: ,

Construction Job Openings at 350,000, Says ABC

  • Posted on

The construction industry had 350,000 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 3,000 last month but are up by 5,000 from the same time last year. “The number of open, unfilled construction positions declined in August but remains higher than both one year ago and the pre-pandemic level,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Despite … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: ,