According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released on April 14, 2026, construction input prices increased 2.2% in March compared to the previous month. However, prices decreased in two of the three energy subcategories last month. Natural gas and unprocessed energy materials prices were down 51.7% and 7.7%, respectively. “Construction materials prices surged in March and are now up 4.8% year over year, the largest annual increase since January 2023,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “This monthly increase…
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Young adults’ interest in construction trades doubles
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released new survey research on the interest of construction trades for young adults. The study focuses on ages 18 to 25 and their perception and interest of working in construction trades. In 2016, NAHB conducted a similar survey. Since then, the interest has doubled from 3 to 6%. Importantly the study also found that more young adults are unsure of what field to build a career in. The figure has dropped from 74% in 2016 to 65% now. “The two most important benefits…
Read MoreUSDA guarantees $115.2M for timber production advancement
On March 23, 2026 at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service J.R. Claeys announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is guaranteeing $115.2 million across eight states through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations. The states receiving the advancement include California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin. “We cannot allow wildfires to devastate and…
Read MoreConstruction layoffs and quits decline
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its January data last week. During the month, the layoff rate for construction jobs declined to 1.0 %, the quits rate followed with a decrease to 1.7%. The industry remained relatively plateaued compared to a year ago. However, flat is undeniably better than falling. With the spring season kicking in, openings should increase across the nation and especially in the northeast. While in the overall economy the open jobs reportedly increased from from…
Read MoreConstruction employment stalls in December
A recently released report from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reported that construction job growth was limited in an estimated more than half of all metro areas. Their report cites that construction employment throughout 2025 remained stable in only 55 metro areas and declined in 129 metro areas. The largest construction employment losses were in the Las Vegas (-11 percent), New York City (-8 percent) and Riverside ( -7 percent). While the largest increase was in Washington (12 percent), Kansas City (9 percent) and Arlington ( 6 percent).…
Read More2026 Construction Outlook
Construction activity is expected to stay strong heading into 2026, with data centers, manufacturing and infrastructure projects leading the way. Contractors are still dealing with high material costs, labor shortages and tariffs, but the new tax law may offer some relief to the construction industry. Economic conditions are showing signs of improvement, though many construction companies are still facing higher costs and tighter margins. For reference, prices are rising at about 3% per year, much lower than the spikes in 2022, but still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. In…
Read MoreWhat’s limiting American construction productivity
The downward trend of productivity falling in the U.S. construction industry fell 30% between 1970 and 2024, while overall labor productivity more than doubled. A report from leading investment banking, securities, and asset and wealth management firm Goldman Sachs explains why the U.S. construction industry is trailing behind countries’ construction industries. One reason Goldman Sachs attributes to the trend is the limited gains in industry innovation. They cited that most construction materials and tools first originated in the 1950s. The industry has yet to fully take advantage of recent technologies…
Read MoreConstruction materials up 2.8% in 2025
According to a report from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) construction input prices are 2.8% higher than a year ago. While input costs decreased 0.6% in December compared to the previous month, overall material prices increased. For example material prices of copper wire and cable increased 4.6% in December, reportedly up 22% year over year. This includes primary nonferrous metal prices up 62% over the past year. “Prices for commodities less exposed to tariffs, like asphalt or crushed stone, will likely remain tame in the coming months due to…
Read MoreHome improvements result in higher construction spending
Private residential construction spending was up 1.3% in October, rebounding from a 1.4% decline in September 2025, and was primarily driven by increased spending on home improvements. Despite the increase, total spending remained 1.3% lower than a year ago in response to navigating economic uncertainty, stemming from ongoing tariff concerns and elevated mortgage rates. According to the latest U.S. Census construction spending data, single-family construction spending declined 1.3% in October, consistent with the soft builder confidence reflected in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Compared to a year ago,…
Read MoreNLBMDA’s 2026 national policy agenda
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) released their national policy agenda for 2026. In this they outlined their vision for housing and construction, tax and economic policy, legal reform and consumer protection, workforce policy, environment, health and safety, production supply and trade, energy and transportation. Highlights of their framework include supporting the Timber Innovation Act to advance tall wood building construction. The NLBMDA supports and wants to advance building codes that would allow for construction of wood framed buildings larger than six stories. This is supported by…
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