ABC’s March Construction Backlog Indicator Down to Lowest Level

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Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 8.7 months in March, according to an ABC member survey conducted March 20-April 3. The reading is .4 months higher than in March 2022. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index tables for March. View the historic Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series. Backlog slipped in March and is at its lowest level since August 2022. Backlog is down on a monthly basis in every region except for the South, which continues to be associated with elevated levels of current and future construction … Read more

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Architecture Billings Index Slowdown Continues

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More architecture firms reported a decline in billings in February, indicating an extension of a recent downturn in design activity according to a new report released from The American Institute of Architects. The score for February fell slightly to 48 (any score below 50 indicates a decline in firm billings). However, inquiries into new projects continued to improve, as did the value of new design contracts. Both indicators suggest that design work is expected to improve in the coming months. Key ABI highlights for February include: Regional averages: West (50.4); Midwest (48.8); Northeast (48.4); South (47.3) Sector index breakdown: mixed … Read more

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Dodge Construction Reports Total Construction Starts Slip

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Total construction starts fell 27% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $865.6 billion, according to Dodge Construction Network. During the month, nonresidential building starts fell 38%, residential starts lost 20% and nonbuilding starts declined by 16%. Comparatively, total construction was 14% lower in January 2023 than in January 2022. Nonresidential building starts were down 2%, nonbuilding starts rose 10% and residential starts lost 34%. For the 12 months ending January 2023, total construction starts were 13% higher than the 12 months ending January 2022. Nonresidential starts were 36% higher, residential starts lost 6% and nonbuilding starts were … Read more

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Construction Labor Shortages Persist, Reports Annual Marcum Job Analysis

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The construction industry continues to face a skilled labor shortage, with worker scarcity worsening since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Marcum LLP’s annual analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The construction industry has slowly begun to recover jobs lost in the early months of 2020. But the rate of recovery has put the industry significantly behind the pre-pandemic pace of employment growth. The residential sector, buoyed by a boom in new home construction, has gained employees at a faster pace than the nonresidential sector over the past two years. Nonresidential construction … Read more

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Fourth Quarter Marcum Construction Index Available

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The Marcum Commercial Construction Index for the fourth quarter of 2022 reveals that the construction industry retained momentum at year’s end despite constraints facing the industry, including labor shortages, materials costs and elevated borrowing costs. While some construction segments have fared better than others, an overheated economy and gloomy economic outlook will eventually begin to drag on the industry. Labor shortages remain the most pressing issue for the construction industry. Material prices rebounded at the start of 2023, but the moderating input price escalation observed across much of 2022 is likely here to stay. While higher interest rates have significantly diminished … Read more

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