ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Falls Sharply in January

National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.4% in January, 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 $1.190 trillion. Spending was down on a monthly basis in 10 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.1%, while public nonresidential construction spending was down 1.0% in January. Healthcare construction decreased slightly from December to January, spending overall in this sector is up 13% from last January. “Despite January’s disappointing data, nonresidential construction spending is still up more than 17% over the past year,” … Read more

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2024 Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half Million, Says ABC

The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor, according to a proprietary model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors. In 2025, the industry will need to bring in nearly 454,000 new workers on top of normal hiring to meet industry demand, and that’s presuming that construction spending growth slows significantly next year. “ABC estimates that the U.S. construction industry needs to attract about a half-million new workers in 2024 to balance supply and demand,” said Michael Bellaman, ABC president and … Read more

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ABC: Monthly Construction Input Prices Surge 1%

Construction input prices increased 1% in January compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices increased 0.9% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 0.4% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction materials prices are 0.7% higher. Prices increased in 2 of the 3 energy subcategories last month. Crude petroleum input prices were up 6.1%, while unprocessed energy materials prices were up 3.8%. Natural gas prices decreased 2.4% in January. “Construction materials prices surged in January, ending a … Read more

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National Construction Leader Stephanie Schmidt-Lehmann Joins ABC

Stephanie Schmidt-Lehmann has been named executive vice president of industry relations and member value at Associated Builders and Contractors. In this role, Schmidt-Lehmann will bring leadership, vision and strategic thinking to ensure the association’s delivers on its value proposition for its 68 chapters, 22,000 member companies and the overall construction industry. Schmidt-Lehmann will develop programs and services that help ABC members win and deliver work safely, ethically and profitably while creating and deploying an effective business development strategy. She will lead ABC’s communications, events, strategic partners, member services and marketing teams, as well as its inclusion, diversity and merit initiatives. … Read more

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ABC: Monthly Construction Input Prices Fall Sharply in December

Construction input prices decreased 0.6% 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. Nonresidential construction input prices decreased 0.4% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 1.2% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 1.6% higher. Prices decreased in two of the three energy subcategories last month. Crude petroleum input prices were down 13.2%, while unprocessed energy materials were down 9.1%. Natural gas prices rose 1.5% in December. “Construction input prices fell sharply in December,” said ABC Chief … Read more

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