ABC: Construction Materials Prices Jump 0.4% in July

Construction input prices increased 0.4% in July 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. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.4% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.2% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 2.6% higher. Prices increased in 2 of the 3 energy categories last month. Crude petroleum and unprocessed energy materials prices were up 1.7% and 0.5%, respectively, while natural gas prices decreased 2.1% in July. “Construction materials prices continued to increase too quickly … Read more

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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Contracts in 6 of Past 7 Months

National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.1% in June, 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 $1.241 trillion. Spending was down on a monthly basis in 9 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.3% for the month, while public nonresidential construction spending inched 0.1% higher. “Nonresidential construction spending declined in June and has now contracted in 6 of the past 7 months,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Recent declines would be worse if not for ongoing increases in public … Read more

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ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Contracts in 6 of Past 7 Months

National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.1% in June, 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 $1.241 trillion. Spending was down on a monthly basis in 9 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.3% for the month, while public nonresidential construction spending inched 0.1% higher. “Nonresidential construction spending declined in June and has now contracted in 6 of the past 7 months,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Recent declines would be worse if not for ongoing increases in public … Read more

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Construction Hiring Remains Subdued in June

The construction industry had 246,000 job openings on the last day of June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 14,000 last month but are down by 39,000 from the same time last year. “While industrywide job openings increased in June, the share of all construction positions that are unfilled remains low by recent standards,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “More importantly, … Read more

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ABC: June Nonresidential Construction Materials Prices Up 2.5% Year-Over-Year

Construction input prices increased 0.2% in June 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 increased 0.3% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.1% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 2.5% higher. Prices increased in 2 of the 3 energy categories last month. Natural gas and unprocessed energy materials prices were up 5.9% and 1.4%, respectively, while crude petroleum prices decreased 0.1% in June. “Nonresidential input price escalation has accelerated in 2025, with prices … Read more

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