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 30th 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.