New ABI Report: Architecture Business Conditions Soften

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 The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index score declined to 42.4 in May, as more firms reported a decrease in billings than the month prior. The pipeline of new work coming into firms is showing increasing softness. While inquiries into new projects continue to increase, they did so at a slower pace than in recent months. Additionally, architecture firm billings remained soft across all regions and sectors in May. Billings declined at firms in all regions of the country for the fourth consecutive month, as conditions remained weakest at firms located in the Midwest. The ABI score is a leading economic indicator of construction activity, providing an approximately nine-to-twelve-month glimpse into the future of … Read more

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Gilbane Building Company Releases Q2 2024 Market Conditions Report

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Gilbane Building Company released its Q2 2024 Market Conditions Report. The quarterly report provides a national macroeconomic view of the overall economy and its impacts on the U.S. construction industry, focusing on market-driven data, end-to-end supply chain constraints, equipment and material availability, costs and risk mitigation strategies. This quarter, the report added two new features: a regional overview of market conditions as reported by Gilbane’s preconstruction teams across the country and a supply chain spotlight feature, focused on the impact of disruptions to global ocean shipping routes on U.S. construction supply chains. Q2 construction market overview takeaways include: Following strong … Read more

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New Report Details Federal Funding Gap For Workforce Prep Despite Persistent Labor Needs

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Only one-fifth of federal investments in postsecondary education support workforce development for fields like construction and manufacturing, while the rest of the money goes to “traditional” degree programs according to a new report on federal workforce funding levels. The report, produced by the Progressive Policy Institute, the Associated General Contractors of America and Procore, notes this funding gap is making it hard for many employers to find qualified workers to hire. The report, titled Building a Stronger Workforce: Federal Spending on Postsecondary Education and Training, notes that of the $139.5 billion the federal government spends annually on postsecondary education, only $28.2 billion goes to workforce education and training programs. The other $111.3 billion supports “traditional” degree programs that only 38% of Americans complete. … Read more

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ABC: Construction Materials Prices Decrease

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Construction input prices decreased 0.9% in May 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 decreased 0.8% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.1% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 2.2% higher. Prices decreased in 2 of the 3 energy subcategories last month. Crude petroleum prices were down 8.7%, while unprocessed energy materials prices decreased 6.6%. Natural gas prices were up by 1.7%. “For contractors, this data provides excellent news along two fronts,” said … Read more

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Marcum 2024 Q1 Report: Construction Sector Defies Rising Costs and Interest Rates

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The Marcum Commercial Construction Index for the first quarter of 2024 reports that the construction industry continued growing despite various challenges. The construction industry continues to benefit from massive investment in manufacturing structures. “Construction spending on manufacturing structures is up 184% over the past four years,” said Anirban Basu, Marcum’s chief construction economist and report author. “Given the size of many of these projects and ongoing efforts to strengthen the nation’s semiconductor, clean energy, and electric vehicle production capacity, the manufacturing-related construction segment will retain momentum through the entirety of 2024.” Input prices, after remaining relatively flat throughout 2023, resumed … Read more

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