Construction Input Prices See Slight Increase in May, Says ABC

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Construction input prices rose slightly by 0.3% in May on a monthly basis and are up 0.6% over the last 12 months, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Nonresidential input prices were also up 0.3% compared to the previous month and are 1.1% higher than they were a year ago. Among the 11 subcategories, six saw prices fall last month, with the largest decreases in natural gas (-15.2%), unprocessed energy materials (-8.2%) and crude petroleum (-6.2%). Of the remaining five subcategories, only two experienced price increases greater than 1%: nonferrous wire […]

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Modest Increase in Nonresidential Spending in April, says ABC

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According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data recently released, national nonresidential construction spending rose .3% in April, totaling $792.6 billion on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, which is a 6.4% increase compared to the same time last year. While public nonresidential spending expanded 4.8% on a monthly basis and increased 15.4% since April 2018, private nonresidential spending fell 2.9% in April and is up just 0.6 % year-over-year. Among the 16 nonresidential construction spending categories, nine experienced an increase in monthly spending, with the largest increases registered in water supply (9.8%), highway and street […]

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April Construction Unemployment Rates down in 49 States Year over Year, Says ABC

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In April, for the second month in a row, estimated not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in 49 states on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Associated Builders and Contractors. Mississippi was the only state with an increase, where construction unemployment rose from 9.2% in April 2018 to 10% in the most recent report. As the April 2019 national NSA construction unemployment rate fell 1.8% from a year ago to 4.7%, the construction industry employed 256,000 more workers nationally compared to April 2018, according to BLS numbers. “The April construction […]

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Surges in March

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Associated Builders and Contractors reports that its monthly Construction Backlog Indicator expanded to 9.5 months in March 2019, up 0.7 months or 8.8% since February 2019 when CBI stood at 8.8 months. “The U.S. economy has been humming and construction backlog is correspondingly elevated,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While there was a period of weakness in backlog in January, those dynamics, which may very well be seasonal, are no longer affecting the market. The U.S. economy’s strong first quarter appears to have greenlighted more construction projects, translating into ongoing and meaningful increases in construction backlog. “As a forward-looking […]

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Dodge Momentum Index Dips in April

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The Dodge Momentum Index fell 0.5% in April to 144.3 (2000=100) from the revised March reading of 145.1. The momentum index, issued by Dodge Data & Analytics, is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The retreat in April was the result of the commercial component falling 1% while the institutional component rose a scant 0.2%. The momentum index has clearly lost some impetus over the last 12 months. The overall momentum index is down 8.5% since […]

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