National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.3% in April, according to the latest Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.20 trillion. Spending was down on a monthly basis in 10 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending decreased 0.3%, while public nonresidential construction spending was down 0.2% in April. “Nonresidential construction spending fell for the second consecutive month in April but remains just 0.3% below the all-time high established in February,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “An unprecedented increase in manufacturing construction spending has pushed overall nonresidential activity 31.9% higher over the past two years. Ongoing investment in industrial facilities as well as significant infrastructure-related outlays will keep nonresidential spending elevated despite the current expectation that interest […]
ABC Releases February Construction Spending Data
National nonresidential construction spending declined 1 % in February, 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 $1.179 trillion. Spending was down in a monthly basis in 15 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.9%, while public nonresidential construction spending was down 1.2% in February. “Virtually every nonresidential construction segment experienced a decline in spending in February,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “In certain instances, the monthly decline was sharp, including healthcare (-2.2%), commercial (-1.9%) and water supply (-1.8%). […]
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 […]
ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Increases
National nonresidential construction spending increased .4% in August, 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 $1.09 trillion. Spending was up on a monthly basis in 12 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending increased by .3%, while public nonresidential construction spending was up .6% in August.
Analysis of Contractor Surveys Shows Construction Workforce Shortage is Disproportionately Impacting Nonunion Firms
A review of 2018-21 Associated General Contractors of America surveys of more than 5,000 member firms nationwide reveals that nonunion construction firms are facing significantly greater workforce supply problems than their union counterparts. These problems preceded the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys, which include responses from 1,768 union contractors and 3,893 nonunion contractors, were analyzed by researchers from the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Associated General Contractors of America represents more than 27,000 construction firms nationally. It releases its topline survey data each September and, since […]





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