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 … Read more

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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 … Read more

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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 … Read more

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Construction Input Prices Continue to Rise, Says ABC

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Construction input prices increased 0.9% in April on a monthly basis and 2.4% compared to the same time last year, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Nonresidential input prices rose 0.9% compared to March and are up 2.8% on an annual basis. Among the 11 subcategories, seven experienced price decreases last month, with the largest decreases in natural gas (-8.7%), iron and steel (-1.7%) and steel mill products (-1.7%). The four subcategories that experienced monthly price increases were crude petroleum (+13.9%), unprocessed energy materials (+3.7%), prepared asphalt products (+2.7%) and concrete … Read more

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ABC Report: Safety Best Practices Can Make Construction Companies 680% Safer

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Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2019 Safety Performance Report today, an annual assessment that furthers the construction industry’s understanding of how to achieve world-class safety through its STEP Safety Management System. Published in conjunction with Construction Safety Week, the report documents the dramatic impact of using proactive safety practices to reduce recordable incidents by up to 85%, making the best-performing companies 680% safer than the industry average. “ABC’s fifth annual report on the use of leading indicators, such as substance abuse programs and toolbox safety talks, confirms that high-performing ABC members have safer construction jobsites,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC … Read more

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