Economy


  • Workers in yellow vests and hard hats pouring concrete on a construction site.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Avalon_Studio via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction job openings fall post-Helene

    Economists say the hurricane temporarily suppressed the number of open construction positions across the Southeast at the end of September. 

    By Oct. 30, 2024
  • A simple open bridge over a roadway.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Rhode Island DOT.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    The 9 largest commercial construction starts of September 2024

    Total groundbreakings dipped 6% to kick off the fall, according to Dodge Construction Network.

    By Oct. 22, 2024
  • Construction site Explore the Trendline
    Image attribution tooltip
    sandsun via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Construction Dive

    Construction Dive editors curate some of the industry’s top stories from this year.

    By Construction Dive staff
  • Two members of a construction crew work on a gray, monolithic structure.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Nathan Howard/Stringer via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction backlog rebounds in wake of rate cut

    After briefly falling at the end of the summer, the amount of work on builders’ books rose again following the Fed’s loosening last month.

    By Oct. 17, 2024
  • A photo illustration of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shoulder to shoulder facing away from each other. The background is a purple wave with a grid gradient.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Photo illustration: Industry Dive; Joe Readle/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip
    Election 2024

    Where the 2024 presidential candidates stand on construction’s top issues

    Here are Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s views on the industry’s most pressing topics, including immigration, permitting, infrastructure and more.

    By Construction Dive Staff • Oct. 16, 2024
  • A customer looks through a stack of lumber.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction input prices tick down on lower energy costs

    The decline reflects overall stabilization over the past 12 months, as material expenses remain 1.9% lower than a year ago.

    By Oct. 14, 2024
  • Construction cranes line the city skyline at dusk in New York City.
    Image attribution tooltip
    zxvisual via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    US crane count holds steady in Q3

    American and Canadian cities saw 15 fewer total cranes in the third quarter of 2024 than in the first, but construction activity remains robust.

    By Oct. 11, 2024
  • Kentucky Venues leadership unveiled the visual concepts for the Kentucky Exposition Center’s Phase I & II renovations.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Kentucky Exposition Center
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Planning activity softens after months of growth

    Slowdowns in office, warehouse and retail projects drove much of September’s decline, but overall activity is still up for the year.

    By Oct. 8, 2024
  • People walk past a sign for the Internal Revenue Service.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    9 year-end tax tips for general contractors

    Company leaders should take time to review the tax implications of their business and operations now, writes a CPA focused on construction.

    By Anita Mahamed • Oct. 8, 2024
  • People filter through a mostly empty hall with a white, linoleum-esque floor and open ceiling via windows.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of San Francisco International Airport / Karl Nielsen
    Image attribution tooltip

    Economic indicators: August 2024

    Construction Dive rounds up key industry data such as backlog, planning activity, input costs, starts and spending.

    By Construction Dive Staff • Oct. 8, 2024
  • Construction continues on a mixed-use apartment complex
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Project abandonments drop amid contractor optimism

    Both private and public sectors appear to be benefitting from falling interest rates and a positive outlook, according to a construction economist.

    By Oct. 3, 2024
  • A construction worker welds rebar
    Image attribution tooltip
    Panupong Piewkleng via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction job openings leap monthly by record amount

    After several months of cooling, which experts speculate was mostly confined to the residential sector, unfilled positions increased by 138,000 in August.

    By Oct. 2, 2024
  • Construction work is done around the Federal Reserve building on September 17, 2024 in Washington, DC.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Public projects keep nonresidential construction afloat

    Government funding accounted for the entirety of the monthly increase in spending, according to ABC's chief economist.

    By Oct. 1, 2024
  • Rendering of the $900 million Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Geisinger
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    The 9 largest commercial construction starts of August 2024

    Total groundbreakings climbed 6% during the last month of the summer, according to Dodge Construction Network.

    By Sept. 26, 2024
  • A man with silver hair in a suit gestures at a podium.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Construction pros expect interest rate cut to spur new work

    Executives said the full impact will take time to materialize as financing terms and project planning catch up to the new environment.

    By Sept. 18, 2024
  • A chain lock over a gate on a construction site.
    Image attribution tooltip
    EricFerguson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Signs that a project partner is in distress

    Noticing the red flags and knowing how to act is vital for fending off potential problems, according to a construction attorney.

    By Dan Rosenberg • Sept. 18, 2024
  • An empty floor on a building under construction.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Tennessee Witney via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    How to tell if a project owner is in financial trouble

    In today’s volatile lending environment, it's important to know the signs that could indicate a client is in distress, says a construction attorney.

    By Dan Rosenberg • Sept. 16, 2024
  • Border fence construction materials sit unused on the U.S.-Mexico border.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Rebecca Noble/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction input costs stabilize as contractors eye relief

    Material prices sit almost a full percentage point lower than last year, a “welcome development” for builders, said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.

    By Sept. 13, 2024
  • Rendering of the $440 million Geisinger medical center tower in Danville, Pennsylvania.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Geisinger
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Planning activity jumps ahead of Fed meeting

    Owners and developers added more projects to the queue in August, expecting stronger market conditions next year, per Dodge Construction Network.

    By Sept. 12, 2024
  • Two construction workers work together on a mixed-use apartment complex
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction backlog slips as contractors lose confidence

    Projects in the pipeline now trail last year’s pace by one month as a slowing economy begins to weigh on builders’ books.

    By Sept. 11, 2024
  • Stressed despair staff in logistic business sittng in container box at shipyard.
    Image attribution tooltip
    interstid via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Merchants Bonding Company

    The snowball effect

    Contractors' cash crunch problems are snowballing into other issues – what’s driving the trend?

    By Jay Farley, Vice President - Claims, Merchants Bonding Company • Sept. 9, 2024
  • An Internal Revenue Service building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tax compliance costs surge 32% since 2017: Tax Foundation

    Efforts to simplify the federal tax code have failed to reverse decades of regulatory and legislative changes that have made it more complex.

    By Jim Tyson • Sept. 6, 2024
  • an illustration of construction equipment building a dollar sign
    Image attribution tooltip
    Leontura via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion // Business Matters

    How to maintain a steady backlog

    Measuring future work is one way to help it grow, according to consultant Matt Verderamo.

    By Matt Verderamo • Sept. 5, 2024
  • two construction workers walk in a warehouse under construction
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sean Anthony Eddy via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Job openings drop again, but commercial builders still seek workers

    Despite a 17% fall in unfilled positions in July, economists say nonresidential contractors are looking to hire craftworkers.

    By Sept. 5, 2024
  • Construction continues on a mixed-use apartment complex that will hold more than 700 units of housing and 95,000 square feet of commercial space on August 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction spending dips again as contractors await Fed relief

    Fluctuations in recent months stem from a worsening shortage of qualified workers, according to AGC’s chief economist.

    By Sept. 3, 2024
  • Crane and building under construction against blue sky
    Image attribution tooltip
    unkas_photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Apartment starts increase monthly, but fall YOY

    Meanwhile, multifamily completions jumped 50% from last July and the number of units under construction dropped.

    By Leslie Shaver • Aug. 27, 2024