Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.4 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted April 22 to May 6. The reading is down 0.5 months from April 2023, but expanded 0.2 months from the prior month.
Backlog declined on a monthly basis for the largest and smallest contractors by revenue and grew for those with $30-$50 million and $50-$100 million in annual revenues. On an annual basis, only contractors with $30-$50 million in annual revenues have experienced an increase in backlog.
ABC’s Construction Confidence Index readings for sales and profit margins fell slightly in April, while the reading for staffing levels improved. All three readings remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months.
“The Federal Reserve began ratcheting up interest rates more than two years ago but one would not know it based on construction confidence and backlog,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “ABC measurements reflect ongoing momentum in the nation’s nonresidential construction sector. While there are occasional hints of softness in certain segments and over certain periods, the average contractor continues to report solid backlog and a belief that sales, employment and profit margins will expand over the next six months.
“Time will tell whether this optimism is justified,” said Basu. “Coming into the year, many expected that interest rates would fall markedly in 2024. Given stubbornly elevated inflation, that will not occur. Project financing costs are poised to remain higher for longer. Project cancellations and postponements have been on the rise. Moreover, a new set of supply chain issues has emerged, driving up materials costs and prospectively weakening industry margins. Workers also are becoming more expensive, in part because the construction wage premium has shrunk over the past several years due to rapidly rising compensation levels in competing segments like logistics and retail. The implication is that construction compensation levels will need to rise for the industry to be able to staff up more fully."
Related Stories
Contractors | Sep 11, 2023
Construction industry skills shortage is contributing to project delays
Relatively few candidates looking for work in the construction industry have the necessary skills to do the job well, according to a survey of construction industry managers by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Autodesk.
MFPRO+ Research | Sep 11, 2023
Conversions of multifamily dwellings to ‘mansions’ leading to dwindling affordable stock
Small multifamily homes have historically provided inexpensive housing for renters and buyers, but developers have converted many of them in recent decades into larger, single-family units. This has worsened the affordable housing crisis, say researchers.
Engineers | Sep 8, 2023
Secrets of a structural engineer
Walter P Moore's Scott Martin, PE, LEED AP, DBIA, offers tips and takeaways for young—and veteran—structural engineers in the AEC industry.
Giants 400 | Sep 5, 2023
Top 80 Construction Management Firms for 2023
Alfa Tech, CBRE Group, Skyline Construction, Hill International, and JLL top the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Sep 5, 2023
Top 150 Contractors for 2023
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, DPR Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., and Clark Group head the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
K-12 Schools | Sep 5, 2023
CHPS launches program to develop best practices for K-12 school modernizations
The non-profit Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) recently launched an effort to develop industry-backed best practices for school modernization projects. The Minor Renovations Program aims to fill a void of guiding criteria for school districts to use to ensure improvements meet a high-performance threshold.
Market Data | Sep 5, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in July 2023
National nonresidential construction spending grew 0.1% in July, 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 $1.08 trillion and is up 16.5% year over year.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 1, 2023
New Tennessee Titans stadium conceived to maximize types of events that can be hosted
The new Tennessee Titans stadium was conceived to maximize the number and type of events that the facility can host. In addition to serving as the home of the NFL’s Titans, the facility will be a venue for numerous other sporting, entertainment, and civic events. The 1.7-million sf, 60,000-seat, fully enclosed stadium will be built on the east side of the current stadium campus.
Office Buildings | Aug 31, 2023
About 11% of U.S. office buildings could be suitable for green office-to-residential conversions
A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper from researchers at New York University and Columbia Business School indicates that about 11% of U.S. office buildings may be suitable for conversion to green multifamily properties.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
New York City creates team to accelerate office-to-residential conversions
New York City has a new Office Conversion Accelerator Team that provides a single point of contact within city government to help speed adaptive reuse projects. Projects that create 50 or more housing units from office buildings are eligible for this new program.
