
Contractors’ Backlog Falls Sharply in May
By ABC
June 11, 2025
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...

The Age of Uncertainty: Monitoring Construction Policy Shifts
By Anirban Basu
June 11, 2025
In both 2023 and 2024, American capitalism shrugged off higher borrowing costs as investors desperately sought higher rates of return. Certain segments, especially those pertaining or adjacent to artificial intelligence were especially strong, often taking the form of data center...

Unprecedented Times: An Interview Panel With 2025 Top Construction Law Firms
By David McMillin
June 10, 2025
In a typical year, construction law doesn’t change all that much—but so far, 2025 has been anything but a typical year. Before the Trump administration reached its first-100-days mark, attorneys were already combing through the language of nearly 130 executive orders. While execu...

Why Construction Relationships Need a Trust Thermostat
By Ana C. Barajas
June 6, 2025
Construction projects are notorious for being unpredictable. One day everything’s humming along, the next day a contractor is delayed, a payment is disputed, and the timeline takes a hit. For an industry built on precision and planning, it’s ironic how often progress is derailed—...

Nonresidential Construction Spending Dips 0.1% in April
By ABC
June 2, 2025
WASHINGTON, June 2—National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.1% in April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1....

The Safety-Productivity Link Construction Leaders Can’t Ignore
By Shelley Copsey
May 29, 2025
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...

Construction Futures: May 2025 Economic Roundup
By Construction Executive
May 27, 2025
WHAT WE LEARNED IN MAY: TRADE POLICY CONTINUES TO CLOUD OUTLOOK
Construction-specific economic data released in May provide mixed signals. Nonresidential construction spending fell sharply in April, and industrywide job openings are down significantly over the past year. At the...

Construction Materials Prices Tame in April Despite Rising Iron and Steel Costs
By ABC
May 19, 2025
WASHINGTON, May 15—Construction input prices decreased 0.1% in April 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 increased 0.2%...

Your Crisis Communication Guide: Anticipating Construction Plans to Hit Unexpected Obstacles
By Anne Lackey
May 15, 2025
The phone vibrates at 2 a.m. A project manager's voice, tense with urgency, reports a water main break at the largest jobsite. The foundation, poured just yesterday, sits submerged. In the dark hours before dawn, dozens of questions demand immediate answers: How to notify the con...

Despite Tariff Impacts, ABC Contractors’ Backlog and Profit Margin Expectations Improve in April
By ABC
May 14, 2025
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 ...
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DOL Pauses Enforcement of Biden’s 2024 Independent Contractor Rule
By ABC
ABC applauds the pause on the 2024 independent contractor final rule, which has posed confusion and time-consumption for construction companies and their workers.
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Nonresidential Construction Added Jobs in April Despite Headwinds
By ABC
Despite a slow in nonresidential construction spending, the sector added jobs in April.
Business

Nonresidential Construction Spending Plunges in March
By ABC
Nonresidential construction spending fell across virtually all subsectors in March, except for data-center projects.