ABC MA members can receive discounted tickets to the upcoming Bring Back the Trades Skills Expo on October 25th at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough MA.  This all-day event features keynote speakers and interactive demos that will highlight for students the exciting opportunities offered by the construction trades.

National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.24 trillion.

The construction industry had 306,000 job openings on the last day of July, 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 increased by 64,000 last month and are up by 77,000 from the same time last year.

Construction input prices increased 0.4% in July 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 also increased 0.4% for the month.

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.8 months in July, according to an ABC member survey conducted July 24 to Aug. 4. The reading is up 0.4 months since July 2024.

There is still time to enjoy the fleeting summer but before we know it, back to school will soon be upon us. The start of a new school year always brings excitement, new opportunities and continued realization that the construction industry offers competitive family-sustaining wages without the need for long-term debt that is so often associated with a college degree. With that in mind, we are happy to report that in July, our Chapter awarded 10 “Building Our Future Scholarships” to worthy apprentices who attend the Gould Construction Institute (GCI).

The construction industry had 246,000 job openings on the last day of June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of 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 increased by 14,000 last month but are down by 39,000 from the same time last year.

The national June 2025 not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate was 3.4%, a 0.1% increase from June 2024, according to by Associated Builders and Contractors’ state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The analysis found that 18 states had lower estimated construction unemployment rates over the same period, 28 had higher rates and four states had the same rates. All of the states had construction unemployment rates below 10%.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) into law. The package contains an estimated $12.5 trillion in tax provisions that will impact both businesses and individuals. The provisions of the bill largely fell into one of four categories:

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.