Economy

  • Construction workers work on a shopping center amid scaffolding.
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    Scott Barbour via Getty Images
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    Economic Reports

    Construction costs dip, but tariffs hike some materials’ prices

    Inputs declined overall in April due to falling energy prices, but steel and copper rose significantly while nonresidential costs continued their upward march.

    By • May 16, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    House committee advances bill with ‘big three’ business tax relief

    The bill advanced Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee would extend some business-friendly tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term.  

    By Maura Webber Sadovi • May 15, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Stanley Black & Decker raises prices to mitigate tariff impacts

    The company is also making supply chain moves to become more compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement and reduce its manufacturing footprint in China.

    By Nathan Owens • May 14, 2025
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Jacobs remains ‘well positioned’ amid economic uncertainty

    CEO Bob Pragada said the impact of White House changes has been minimal and tariffs have provided the firm with consulting and advisory work.

    By • May 14, 2025
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Economic Reports

    Backlog hits nearly 2-year high despite tariff worries

    Contractors’ expectations for their profit margins grew, but the gains in infrastructure building backlog were erased.

    By • May 14, 2025
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    Courtesy of Skanska
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    Skanska downgrades US construction outlook

    CEO Anders Danielsson said in an earnings call that customers have taken longer to decide to invest amid economic uncertainty, but its pipeline remains strong.

    By • Updated May 13, 2025
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    Gerville via Getty Images
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    Data centers, but little else, prop up construction planning

    The Dodge Momentum Index rose 0.9% in April as tariffs and policy uncertainty kept many owners and developers on the sidelines.

    By • May 12, 2025
  • Aerial shot of TSMC's $40 billion construction project in Phoenix, Arizona
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    Permission granted by TSMC
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    Opinion

    Why Trump’s tariffs alone aren’t enough

    Manufacturing projects are complex. Levies aimed at bringing these builds back to the U.S. need to be paired with broader initiatives, writes one construction executive. 

    By Brian Gallagher • May 9, 2025
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    Tariffs trigger pauses on some retail, industrial real estate deals

    It’s too soon to know exactly how tariffs will impact commercial real estate. But some cracks are emerging in the U.S. retail and industrial sectors, CBRE’s Whitley Collins says.

    By Maura Webber Sadovi • May 8, 2025
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    Kena Betancur via Getty Images
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    AECOM sees delays, deferrals tied to Trump policies

    Although some clients have postponed decisions due to uncertainty in Washington, in a Q2 earnings call CEO Troy Rudd maintained he is bullish on the president’s deregulation push.

    By • May 7, 2025
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    Courtesy of Fluor
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    Fluor says most customers forging ahead despite tariffs

    Some clients are awaiting “market clarity and cost certainty” before making final investment decisions, new CEO Jim Breuer said in an earnings call.

    By • May 6, 2025
  • Crews work on a construction site in Temple, Texas.
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    Courtesy of Meta
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    Economic Reports

    Construction spending plummets on tariff fears

    Data centers are “perhaps the only remaining source of industry momentum” as most private sectors pulled back in March, according to ABC’s chief economist.

    By • May 2, 2025
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    YinYang via Getty Images
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    Economic Reports

    Construction hiring slows to lowest rate ever recorded

    New job numbers point to a decreased demand for labor across the industry, according to Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis.

    By • May 1, 2025
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    Courtesy of Graycor
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    Q&A

    Tariff fears ‘settling down’: Graycor Southwest lead

    Brett Helm talks with Construction Dive about policy worries, semiconductor competition and power constraints for data centers.

    By • May 1, 2025
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    ‘I can’t find any help’: Employers scramble to solve worker shortages caused by immigration crackdowns

    President Donald Trump recently said the government would seek to let some undocumented persons return to the country “if they’re good,” but he was scant on details.

    By Ryan Golden • May 1, 2025
  • IBM headquarters located in SOMA district, downtown San Francisco, on Aug, 21, 2019.
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    Sundry Photography via Getty Images
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    IBM pledges $150B toward US-based manufacturing, research

    The investment plans include $30 billion for domestic mainframe and quantum computing development, the company said Monday.

    By Matt Ashare • April 29, 2025
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    Highwaystarz-Photography via Getty Images
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    Cash flow problems continue to plague subcontractors: report

    A survey of 800 construction pros found a majority of firms dip into profit margins to maintain working capital.

    By • April 24, 2025
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    Sedat Suna via Getty Images
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    Roche, answering tariff threat, pledges $50B to US drug production

    The big pharma joined several of its peers in committing to invest billions of dollars in new and expanded manufacturing facilities in the U.S. 

    By Jonathan Gardner • April 23, 2025
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    The Bold Bureau via Getty Images
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    Economic Reports

    The 9 largest commercial construction starts of March 2025

    Activity ticked up during the month but still trails last year's pace through the first quarter, according to Dodge Construction Network.

    By • April 22, 2025
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Healthcare construction bucks broader building slowdown

    Flexible design, early planning and resiliency are driving steady momentum in the space, says Derek Gregg, vice president of operations at Robins & Morton.

    By • April 17, 2025
  • A commercial real estate leasing agent gives a tour inside an empty office.
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    Mindful Media via Getty Images
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    Office demand remains resilient in Q1, despite economic uncertainty

    Sublease availability and new construction deliveries continue to decline, creating the conditions for “cautious optimism” in the sector, Cushman & Wakefield says. 

    By Joe Burns • April 16, 2025
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    Gerville via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The AI infrastructure race hits a political reality check

    The AI-driven data center boom has created demand for land, electricity and water, a dynamic that has spawned growing opposition from communities, utility grid operators and regulators.

    By Joe Brettell and Jeff Berkowitz • April 14, 2025
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Economic Reports

    Construction materials costs rise for third month on tariff pressures

    Contractors are receiving price hike notices on several key inputs, complicating efforts to plan and budget new projects.

    By • April 14, 2025
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    Veronique D via Getty Images
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    Amid tariff turmoil, Novartis commits to spending $23B on US manufacturing

    Novartis expects the new capacity will allow it to produce all of its key medicines “end to end” in the U.S., as the Trump administration buffets global trade with tariffs.

    By Jonathan Gardner • April 11, 2025
  • Canadian and American flags stand in front of the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit.
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    Bill Pugliano via Getty Images
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    Tariff tensions threaten Canada’s construction market

    In response to a trade war that experts say will hurt contractors in both countries, some Canadian jurisdictions have blocked U.S. firms from bidding on government contracts.

    By • April 11, 2025