The Blog

Construction input prices increased 0.5% in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices increased 0.6% for the month.

The construction industry added 13,000 jobs on net in March, 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 risen by a mere 143,000 jobs, an increase of 1.8%.

Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts has enjoyed a good relationship with Governor Maura Healey. So we were taken aback last month when, at the Massachusetts Building Trades Convention, the Governor announced an executive order calling on state agencies to conduct an analysis “to determine whether using a PLA [project labor agreement] is in the best interest of the Commonwealth or agency” for all projects valued at $35 million and above.

The construction industry had 264,000 job openings on the last day of February, 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.

National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.3% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.255 trillion.

ABC MA representatives met last week with Governor Maura Healey about her recent Executive Order on PLAs.

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.3 months in February, according to an ABC member survey conducted Feb. 20 to March 5. The reading is up 0.2 months since February 2024.

The construction industry added 19,000 jobs on net in February, 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 increased by 174,000 jobs, an increase of 2.1%.

The construction industry had 236,000 job openings on the last day of January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings increased by 31,000 in January but are down by 171,000 from the same time last year.

Associated Builders and Contractors has released an analysis of 2024 state union membership data published by unionstats.com, which found that in 41 states at least 80% of workers in the private construction industry did not belong to a union.