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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ABC: Contractor Optimism Grows as ABC’s Backlog Indicator Rebounds in June

Associated Builders and Contractors reported its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.7 months in June, according to an ABC member survey conducted June 20 to July 7. The reading is up 0.3 months since June 2024. The largest contractors have nearly two months longer backlog than they did one year ago. While the smallest contractors have slightly longer backlog on a year-ago basis, backlog has fallen for contractors with $30-$100 million in annual revenues. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for sales and profit margins improved in May, while the reading for staffing levels fell. The readings for all three components … Read more

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ABC: Construction Adds 15,000 Jobs in June

The construction industry added 15,000 jobs on net in June, 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 121,000 jobs, or 1.5%. Nonresidential construction employment expanded by 9,200 positions on net, with growth registered in just 1 of 3 major subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added 12,400 jobs, while heavy and civil engineering and nonresidential building lost 2,800 and 400 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate fell to 3.4% last month. Unemployment across all industries declined from 4.2% in May to 4.1% … Read more

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ABC: Construction Hiring Remains Sluggish in May

The construction industry had 245,000 job openings on the last day of May, 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 3,000 last month but are down by 130,000 from the same time last year. “Industrywide labor demand continued to be subdued in May,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The year-to-date construction hiring rate is lower than in any year since the start … Read more

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