ABC: Record-High 89.7% of US Construction Workers Are Not Union Members

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According to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2024 Union Members Summary released, a record low 10.3% of the U.S. construction industry belongs to a union, a decrease from the prior historic low of 10.7% in 2023. BLS reports that 7,978,000 construction industry workers were not members of a union in 2024, a 12,000-person increase from 7,966,000 workers in 2023, while union membership decreased by 38,000 to 916,000. The construction industry shrunk by 26,000 workers, from 8.92 million in 2023 to 8.894 million in 2024. To view a detailed summary, click here.

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ABC: Construction Materials Prices Inch Down .2% in December, Up .9% Year Over Year

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Construction input prices decreased .2% in December compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices also decreased .2% for the month. Overall construction input prices are .9% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are .6% higher. Prices increased in all three energy subcategories last month. Natural gas prices were up 57.7%, while unprocessed energy material prices increased 10%. Crude petroleum prices rose slightly, by .5%. “Construction materials prices declined slightly in December and are virtually … Read more

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ABC: Construction Underperforms Broader Economy in December Jobs Report

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The construction industry added just 8,000 jobs on net in December, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 196,000 jobs, an increase of 2.4%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 4,700 positions on net, with growth in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added the most jobs, increasing by 3,900 positions. Heavy and civil engineering added 600 jobs, while nonresidential building added 200 jobs. The construction unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in December. Unemployment across all industries decreased from 4.2% in … Read more

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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Dips .1% in November, Flat Year Over Year

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National nonresidential construction spending declined .1% in November, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.234 trillion. On a year-over-year basis, nonresidential construction spending is up 2.8%, approximately flat in inflation-adjusted terms. Spending was down on a monthly basis in 8 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending was unchanged, while public nonresidential construction spending was down 0.2% in November. “Contractor confidence surged post-election,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Many contractors expect a combination of deregulation and tax cuts to … Read more

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ABC: Wisconsin is Top State for Construction

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Wisconsin is the No. 1 state for construction, according to Associated Builders and Contractors’ 10th annual Merit Shop Scorecard. The scorecard, released annually since 2015, ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on policies and programs that better career pathways in construction, further workforce development and strengthen fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects. Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Florida rounded out the top five states in 2024, in ranking order. Wisconsin has been a high-performing state year after year, but takes the top spot for the highest scores on fair and open competition policies prohibiting … Read more

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