The road to recovery for construction may be longer than many people think.

As the second quarter of 2021 kicks off, contractor confidence is high, with plenty of optimism that the coming resurgence of re-started projects will lift construction firms from the abyss of COVID-19 to go even beyond their pre-pandemic heights.

But there is more to the story. Escalating labor costs, rising material prices and nervous clients could all stand in the way of construction's return to normalcy.

Here, Construction Dive presents a series of articles looking at the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the industry and how an expected rebound in construction work could be slowed by a variety of forces. See below for the articles in the series and check back for more throughout the year.