Productivity

Contractors today face a number of challenges: residual effects of ongoing inflation and elevated cost of capital due to a higher interest rate environment; the impact of tariffs driving up the cost of materials; and a tight labor market making it challenging to hire skilled work...

WASHINGTON, July 30—The national June 2025 not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate was 3.4%, a 0.1% increase from June 2024, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. The analysis...

WASHINGTON, July 15—Associated Builders and Contractors reported that 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. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indic...

We’ve all done it at one time or another—overpromising on the completion date of finishing a project, a report, a chore, virtually any type of commitment you can name. The reasons are almost limitless: starting too late, wanting to impress someone or appease their anger, or simpl...

WASHINGTON, July 3—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....

What We Learned in June: Some Signs of Waning Momentum Construction-specific economic data have started to flash a few signs of potential weakness. Both backlog and nonresidential construction spending declined for the month, and while nonresidential employment continues to grow...

WASHINGTON, June 10—Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.4 months in May, according to an ABC member survey conducted May 20 to June 3. The reading is up 0.1 months since May 2024. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicato...

For years, there’s been a quiet but persistent belief in construction: safety measures slow productivity. But in reality, the safest jobsites are usually the most productive. In 2023, the construction industry saw 1,075 workplace fatalities—the highest among all private industry...

WASHINGTON, May 13—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to a 20-month high of 8.7 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted April 22 to May 6. The reading is up 0.3 months since April 2024. View ABC’s ...

WASHINGTON, April 30—The national March 2025 not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate was 5.4%, unchanged from March 2024, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors. The analy...