Construction input prices rose 2.9% in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices expanded 2.8% for the month. Construction input prices are up 24.4% from a year ago and 39.1% from February 2020, while nonresidential construction input prices are 25% and 39.2% higher. Natural gas prices are up more than 200% since the start of the pandemic, while crude petroleum prices are up more than 100% over that span. “Despite recent growth in the nation’s labor force participation rate, contractors continue to contend … Read more