The construction industry added 17,000 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 grown by 197,000 jobs, an increase of 2.5%. Last month, nonresidential construction employment increased by 11,900 positions on net, with growth in two of the three subcategories. Nonresidential building added 8,100 positions, while nonresidential specialty trade added 4,300 jobs on net. Heavy and civil engineering lost 500 jobs. The construction unemployment rate fell to 4.4% in December. Unemployment across all industries remained unchanged at 3.7% … Read more
ABC: Georgia is No. 1 State for Construction
For the first time, Georgia was named the top state for construction in Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual Merit Shop Scorecard. The scorecard, released yearly since 2015, ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on policies and programs that strengthen career pathways in construction, encourage workforce development and advocate for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects. Georgia’s construction industry continues to prosper, and it earned the top spot due to the state’s continued dedication to workforce development. This year, 99% of career and technical education students in the state earned a credential and/or continued to a … Read more
ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Inches Higher, up 20% Over the Past Year
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in October, 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 $1.1 trillion. Spending was up on a monthly basis in 8 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending increased 0.1% in October, while public nonresidential construction spending was up 0.2%.
ABC Construction Backlog Indicator Falls for Small Contractors, Increases for Large Contractors
Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 8.4 months in October from 9 months in September, according to an ABC member survey conducted Oct. 19-Nov. 2. The reading is down 0.4 months from October 2022. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index tables for October. View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series. Backlog now stands at its lowest level since the first quarter of 2022. Declines were concentrated among the smallest contractors, those with less than $30 million in annual revenues. All three other revenue categories experienced an … Read more
Nonresidential Construction Employment Increases, Says ABC
The construction industry added 23,000 jobs on net in October, 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 219,000 jobs, an increase of 2.8%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 8,400 positions on net, with growth in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added 4,200 positions, while nonresidential building and heavy and civil engineering added 2,600 and 1,600 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate increased to 4% in October. Unemployment across all industries increased from 3.8% in September to 3.9% last month.