Nonresidential Construction Adds Healthy 15,700 Jobs in May

The construction industry added 17,000 jobs on net in May, 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 68,000 jobs, up 0.8%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 15,700 positions, with gains in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty traded added the most jobs, increasing by 11,400 positions. Heavy and civil engineering and nonresidential building added 2,600 and 1,700 jobs, respectively, in May. The construction unemployment rate was 4.1% in May. Unemployment across all industries remained unchanged at 4.3% and is also unchanged … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: , ,

Construction Material Prices Increase Steadily in June, Says ABC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to a recent Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, construction material prices rose another .8 percent in June and are 9.6 percent higher than they were at the same time one year ago. June represents the latest month associated with rapidly rising construction input prices. Nonresidential construction materials prices effectively mirrored overall construction prices by rising .9 percent on a month-over-month basis and 9.8 percent on a year-over-year basis. “In general, this emerging state of affairs is unfavorable,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Rapidly rising materials prices interfere with … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: , ,

Construction Input Prices Moderate in March, Energy Prices Down

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction input prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in March, increasing by .3 percent on a monthly basis and 4.4 percent on a yearly basis, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data recently released by Associated Builders and Contractors. Nonresidential construction input prices performed similarly, increasing by .4 percent for the month and 4.4 percent for the year. Energy-related inputs experienced a sharp decline in prices for the month, with natural gas prices decreasing by 30 percent and crude petroleum prices falling by 10.8 percent. That said, those two inputs have increased by … Read more

Filed under: Economic NewsTagged with: , ,