By Luiza Mills, Interstate Electrical Services Corporation

Economic cycles come and go, but the long-term outlook is clear: we need to continue to expose and recruit more people into the trades.

The Gould Construction Institute hosted “Trade or Treat” on October 30^th at its new Billerica facility.  The event was another creative opportunity to open minds via an open house that provided high school students with an opportunity to understand the career paths available in Electrical, Carpentry, HVAC and more – all while taking part in construction-oriented quizzes, demonstrations, raffles, and giveaways, and enjoying a bit of candy!  Attendees got to meet instructors and trade professionals while touring the facility and discovering how a career in trades can be both rewarding and fun.  

Many of us, me included, can attest why it is so incredibly rewarding to be in the trades, but I would like to share with you a testimonial from Dianne McCarthy, a college and career counselor at Lowell High School, who wrote:

“I wanted to thank you again for allowing me to bring a bus load of students to GCI yesterday.  I was so happy with how the time went, how supportive the instructors were, and how easily our students felt at home. It resonated with me so strongly that many of these students have never held a hammer or a wire cutter (never mind a Sawzall), tools that I now feel privileged to have in my own toolbox.  

“The students were all smiles and had such positive feedback on the bus home, expressing that they felt the event was such a success, they are eager to get going towards a career in construction, learned so much from such a short time, and hope we can continue bringing things like this to our students.  The only negative feedback, which I'm sure won't shock you, was that I didn't give them enough time learning how to use the tools!

I can think of no better way to end Careers in Construction Month than by inspiring a bus load of students who are now are “eager to get going towards a career in construction.”  Dianne’s kind note continues to highlight the importance of having our own hands-on facility to educate both students and adults about all the construction industry has to offer and the rewarding career paths available.

Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts exists to serve the needs of our members, and there are few things that better serve the needs of member companies than to help attract, educate and develop the qualified workforce and future industry leaders needed to meet the growing demand for construction services and to help continue building our world.

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.4 months in October, according to an ABC member survey conducted Oct. 20 to Nov. 4. The reading is down 0.1 months since September but unchanged from October 2024. 

View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series.

Backlog was flat or increased on a monthly basis in each of the three industries considered in this survey. Backlog for respondents that do not primarily operate in any one industry—generally the smallest contractors responding to the survey—fell sharply for the month and stands at just 5.8 months.

ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for sales was unchanged in October, while the readings for profit margins and staffing levels declined. The readings for all three components remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months.

“Nearly 65% of contractors indicated that they think the U.S. construction industry is contracting, according to ABC’s October survey,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “This dismal assessment accompanied the lowest backlog reading since May, and 23% of contractors expect their sales to decline over the next six months, the highest share in over a year. These findings are consistent with an industry that is sustained by still-elevated manufacturing construction and a surging data center sector. Approximately 1 in 7 contractors are under contract to work on data centers, and those contractors have significantly higher backlog (10.9 months) than those that are not (8.0 months).”

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.4 months in October, according to an ABC member survey conducted Oct. 20 to Nov. 4. The reading is down 0.1 months since September but unchanged from October 2024. 

View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series.

Backlog was flat or increased on a monthly basis in each of the three industries considered in this survey. Backlog for respondents that do not primarily operate in any one industry—generally the smallest contractors responding to the survey—fell sharply for the month and stands at just 5.8 months.

ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for sales was unchanged in October, while the readings for profit margins and staffing levels declined. The readings for all three components remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months.

“Nearly 65% of contractors indicated that they think the U.S. construction industry is contracting, according to ABC’s October survey,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “This dismal assessment accompanied the lowest backlog reading since May, and 23% of contractors expect their sales to decline over the next six months, the highest share in over a year. These findings are consistent with an industry that is sustained by still-elevated manufacturing construction and a surging data center sector. Approximately 1 in 7 contractors are under contract to work on data centers, and those contractors have significantly higher backlog (10.9 months) than those that are not (8.0 months).”

Trayd powers the construction back office. 

A purpose-built back-office platform, Trayd is engineered from the ground up for the realities of the trades, including multi-state tax rules, prevailing wage requirements, complex pay rates, certified payroll, and union agreements.

For decades, contractors have been underserved by back-office software. The result has been predictable: fragmented systems, manual spreadsheets, missed compliance deadlines, and job costs hidden until it’s too late.
 

Trayd changes that. Our payroll engine automates the most complex pay scenarios such as union rates, fringes, deductions, and multi-entity processing. Certified payroll and compliance reports generate instantly, reducing risk and saving back-office teams hundreds of hours each month. What Trayd delivers to contractors:

• Payroll: Automated processing for complex rates, fringes, deductions, and union rules
• Compliance: Certified payroll and reporting generated instantly
• Taxes: Quarterly and annual filings handled across states and jurisdictions
• HR: Onboarding, benefits administration, certifications, and crew management
• Job Costing: Real-time visibility into labor costs on every project
• Reporting: Standardized forms and dashboards for leadership teams
• Integrations: Seamless connection with accounting and ERP systems
  
  

For leadership teams, Trayd provides true job costing and financial visibility. Every hour and dollar is tied directly to the right project in real time, empowering contractors to protect margins, plan proactively, and bid with confidence. Backed by Suffolk Technologies, Bloomberg Beta, and Y Combinator, Trayd is trusted by contractors nationwide to power their back offices with simplicity, accuracy, and speed. Built for construction, not adapted to it, Trayd is redefining how the trades run their businesses.

By Luiza Mills, Interstate Electrical Services Corporation

Even in a slowing economy, few challenges are more pressing than finding the qualified workers your company needs to succeed.

According to our national parent organization, the construction industry will require 439,000 additional workers this year and another 499,000 in 2026 to meet demand. As experienced workers retire, there simply aren’t enough younger workers to replace them—let alone fill new positions. This shortage persists even though construction is one of the few industries that offers family-sustaining wages without the burden of a college degree and student debt.

Building Mass Careers

In line with our strategic plan, ABC MA and the Gould Construction Institute launched Building Mass Careers (BMC), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, to formalize our workforce development program and provide our members with the skilled workers they need.

Over the past several years, our Chapter has had notable success in securing competitive grants that fund training for a diverse range of individuals. Through BMC, we connect with:

• Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers
• Returning veterans and dislocated workers
• New Americans with construction experience in their home countries
• Out-of-school youth and individuals with disabilities
• Recent college graduates seeking rewarding careers in construction

We help them recognize that their existing strengths—such as math, problem-solving, or computer skills—are transferable to construction.

BMC Apprenticeship Program

BMC also sponsors the BMC Apprenticeship Program, powered by a coalition of merit shop contractors committed to training the next generation of construction professionals. Today, 96 companies are participating, with 630 apprentices in registered apprenticeship programs—a growing pipeline to meet workforce demand.

Building Our Future Scholarship

To further invest in the future, ABC offers the Building Our Future Scholarship, providing financial assistance to deserving candidates who are either enrolled at the Gould Construction Institute or pursuing post-secondary education in construction.

Take Action This Month

Finding a qualified workforce is a top priority for every contractor. During Careers in Construction Month, we encourage you to take advantage of the resources BMC and ABC MA have developed to help you build the workforce you need.

To learn more, contact:
Steve Sullivan, Executive Director
📧 [email protected]

Together, we can build the workforce that builds Massachusetts!

The construction industry had 188,000 job openings on the last day of August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 115,000 last month and are down by 116,000 from the same time last year.

“Construction job openings plunged in August, falling to the lowest rate in nearly a decade,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While this data series tends to be volatile on a month-to-month basis, the precipitous decline in job openings aligns with other indicators like construction spending and employment, both of which have fallen in recent months. Contractors remain relatively optimistic about the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, yet recent data has made it abundantly clear that the construction industry is currently contracting.” 

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell from 8.8 months in July to 8.5 months in August, according to an ABC member survey conducted Aug. 20 to Sept. 3. The reading is up 0.3 months since August 2024.

View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series.

The monthly decline in backlog was entirely attributable to contractors with under $30 million in annual revenues. Backlog has risen in each of the past three months for ABC’s largest contractors and is now at the highest level in over two years.

ABC’s Construction Confidence Index reading for sales was unchanged in August. The reading for staffing declined, while the reading for profit margins increased. The readings for all three components remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months.

“The dip in backlog observed in August is not surprising given ongoing declines in nonresidential construction spending,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While backlog in the heavy industry and infrastructure categories has held up well, commercial and institutional backlog has not. With private sector projects struggling under the weight of rising materials costs, policy uncertainty and reemerging labor shortages, that category may remain weak over the next few quarters. 

“About 1 in 4 contractors reported having a project delayed or canceled due to tariffs,” said Basu. “While that is relatively stable from July, a similar share reported project delays or cancellations due to lack of funding and labor force issues. While contractor confidence was stable for the month, it will be interesting to see how long this optimism persists if the myriad headwinds facing the industry remain in place.”

The ABC MA Workers’ Compensation Self-Insurance Group (ABC MA SIG) recently held its annual meeting and presented safety awards to its members.  The ABC MA SIG is now in its fourth decade of providing exceptional results for qualifying members who want to play an active role in their company’s loss control and safety culture. 

At the meeting, the group reviewed recent performance, including the following: 

• Over the past six years the group has returned over $3M in dividends to members.

 • Member costs versus the insurance marketplace continue to be lower, with

savings of at least 26%.

• Surplus accumulated by the group is ultimately returned to the members, unlike

commercial carriers.

• Since the inception of the group, ABCMA members have earned over $13M in dividends, an overall return of 21%.

The group also presented the following awards for the fund year 2024: 

SERVICE AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD IN 2024:

CHRISTOPHER MCCAULEY – RIVERS ELECTRICAL CORPORATION

SERVICE AS CHAIR OF SAFETY COMMITTEE IN 2024

TAYLOR DAIGLE – PLUMB HOUSE

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS

RETURN TO WORK/ALTERNATIVE DUTY

EVERETT J. PRESCOTT

MOST COMMITTED

VETERANS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

MOST IMPROVEMENT

ACCUTEMP ENGINEERING, INC.

MEMBER EFFORTS

MEDFORD WELLINGTON SERVICE COMPANY, INC.

LOSS RATIO UNDER 10% IN FUND YEAR 2024:

ACCUTEMP ENGINEERING, INC.

ARCHITECTURAL CAULKING & WATERPROOFING, INC.

ASSOCIATED CONCRETE COATINGS

COMMERCIAL DRYWALL & CONSTRUCTION

JJ BAFARO, INC.

JJ CARDOSI, INC.

MJM MASONRY, INC.

NAPPA ELECTRIC & CONSTRUCTION CORP.

PIPING SYSTEMS, INC.

PRO AV SYSTEMS, INC.

RIVERS ELECTRICAL CORPORATION

VETERANS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

For more information on the ABC MA SIG, please contact Ryan Foye at FutureComp/USI at [email protected] or 781-376-2622.

The construction industry lost 7,000 jobs in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has grown by 58,000 jobs, an increase of 0.7%.

Nonresidential construction employment decreased by 1,200 positions on net, with losses in 2 of the 3 subcategories. Nonresidential building lost 3,300 jobs, while nonresidential specialty trade lost 200 positions. Heavy and civil engineering added 2,300 jobs for the month.

The construction unemployment rate dropped to 3.2% in August. Unemployment across all industries increased from 4.2% in July to 4.3% last month.

“The construction industry has now lost jobs in each of the past three months,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Industrywide employment is up by just 6,000 positions since December, and every subsegment except for heavy and civil engineering lost jobs in August. Despite these job losses, construction labor shortages appear to be worsening as immigration policy weighs on the supply of workers; the construction unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in August, matching the lowest level ever recorded.

“Construction industry data have been particularly downbeat since March,” said Basu. “With materials prices rising and construction spending shrinking, it’s hardly a surprise that the industry’s workforce is contracting. Despite these troubling signs, contractors remain optimistic about their sales over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index. While that may reflect the notion that weak labor market data will translate into accelerated rate cuts, there is no guarantee that a lower federal funds rate will translate into lower borrowing costs given the current state of the bond market.”

Construction input prices increased 0.2% in August compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.2% for the month.

Overall construction input prices are 2.3% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 2.6% higher. Prices decreased in all three energy categories last month. Crude petroleum and natural gas prices were both down 2.8%, while unprocessed energy materials prices decreased 2.5% in August.

“Construction materials prices rose modestly in August, although the increase would have been larger if not for declining oil and natural gas prices,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Prices rose at an especially rapid pace in some of the categories most affected by tariffs. Iron and steel prices, for instance, are now up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis, while copper wire and cable prices are up 13.8%. Even though nonresidential input prices have risen at a 5.3% annualized rate in 2025, contractors remain broadly optimistic about their profit margins over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.”

By Luiza Mills, Interstate Electrical Services Corporation

Safety is at the forefront of everything we do, and ensuring our employees go back home to their families at the end of each day continues to be our top priority.  September is the time when we highlight our efforts to keep workers physically and mentally safe.

We have some exciting things going on this month to support this ongoing priority. The Gould Construction Institute (GCI) will hold its annual “STEP into Safety” event on Thursday, September 25 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at its Billerica training center.  In addition to STEP (ABC’s safety management self-assessment tool) Award presentations and networking, this year’s event will feature an Innovations in Fall Protection Demonstration, a Human and Organizational Performance Presentation geared toward rethinking your company’s safety strategy, and finally, tours of our GCI training facility.  You can RSVP for the event here.

On September 17th, our Chapter will host “Is Your Construction Safety Policy & Strategy Up to Date?” from 7:30 to 8:30 am at ABC MA’s Woburn headquarters.  This workshop, facilitated by safety expert Milt Jacobs, who has conducted prior safety events for the Chapter, will provide tools for making sure your safety and health policies align with current best practices.  You can register for the event here.

Physical safety isn’t our only focus; mental wellbeing is also vital. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.  CDC studies continue to rank construction as the number one industry for deaths by suicide. The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention's website provides multiple toolbox talks and more for your use throughout the month.  In addition, we ask that you follow ABC on social media and sign up for a VitalCog training session. 

In closing, September is a good time to pause and further educate our employees in their safety and wellbeing. We encourage you to take full advantage of all the tools and resources available to you to support your people. There is never enough that can be done in these areas to continue to sustain the finest safety and metal health programs in the construction industry.