Economy: Page 4
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After pandemic boom, industrial construction starts fade
Project kickoffs fell 40% last year, as a slew of COVID-era warehouse and distribution projects have outpaced demand.
By Sebastian Obando • April 9, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Project abandonments spike
Outright cancellations increased 7% over the past month, fueled by publicly funded projects, according to ConstructConnect.
By Sebastian Obando • April 3, 2024 -
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 -
Economic Reports
Job openings inch up as layoffs, hirings soar
Construction sectors powered by federal funds have high demands for labor, but private segments face slower growth, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors economist.
By Zachary Phillips • April 3, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Construction spending slips due to weather, interest rates
Monthly spending was down in 15 of 16 nonresidential categories, but on an annual basis, all sectors are still positive.
By Sebastian Obando • April 2, 2024 -
Office real estate value likely to plunge 26% through 2025: Moody’s
An above-average amount of commercial real estate debt will soon mature and property owners will need to refinance at the highest rates in years, Moody’s said.
By Jim Tyson • March 25, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Construction starts plunge 8% as Fed toes line on rates
January’s manufacturing gains were wiped away as the prolonged impact of higher interest rates and labor issues caught up with the sector.
By Matthew Thibault • March 21, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Input price surge signals bumpy road ahead
“There is reason to believe that inflation will remain stubbornly high for months to come,” said ABC’s chief economist.
By Sebastian Obando • March 15, 2024 -
Balfour Beatty’s 2023 profits dip on investments
CEO Leo Quinn nonetheless predicted growth in coming years as the London-based contractor capitalizes on shifts in the U.S. market.
By Matthew Thibault • March 14, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Inflation, interest rates contribute to backlog dip
Higher borrowing costs may stick around for longer than anticipated, which could upset economic momentum, said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.
By Sebastian Obando • March 12, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Office sector drags down construction planning
Nonresidential planning slowed as workers continue to log in from home, but most other categories showed growth, according to Dodge Construction Network.
By Sebastian Obando • March 8, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Weather, financing woes end 19-month construction spending streak
Despite the drop, contractor confidence remains high for the near term, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.
By Sebastian Obando • March 4, 2024 -
Supply chain headaches persist 4 years into pandemic
As the fourth anniversary of COVID-19’s arrival in the U.S. nears, contractors are still dealing with challenges around materials pricing and availability.
By Shefali Kapadia • Feb. 29, 2024 -
Wells Fargo CFO calls commercial real estate a ‘long movie’
The office market is under the most pressure, the bank’s finance chief Michael Santomassimo said on Monday.
By Maura Webber Sadovi • Feb. 28, 2024 -
Regional Report
Tampa’s sunny construction market has builders feeling good
Contractors in Tampa — a big city with a small town feel — reap the benefits of one of the fastest-growing metros in the U.S.
By Matthew Thibault • Feb. 27, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Construction starts flatline even as manufacturing accelerates
Expected interest rate cuts in the second half of 2024 should spur more groundbreakings as the year progresses, according to Dodge.
By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 23, 2024 -
9 of the top contech deals of 2023
Autonomous drone technology, metal reclamation and modular construction topped the list of the biggest contech funding rounds last year.
By Matthew Thibault • Feb. 21, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Input prices rise after 3 months of decline
The first increase since September highlights the ongoing presence of material price volatility, said Anirban Basu, Associated Builders and Contractors’ chief economist.
By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 20, 2024 -
Q&A
Slowdown ahead due to interest rates, GC exec says
As people move to the Southeast, Samet Corp. has seen an increase in demand for multifamily and public projects, according to CFO Doug Beane.
By Zachary Phillips • Feb. 14, 2024 -
Inflation edges up, pushing back forecast of first Fed rate cut
Futures traders now see a 52% probability that policymakers in June will cut the federal funds rate from its current peak level between 5.25% and 5.5%.
By Jim Tyson • Feb. 14, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Backlog dips again amid tight lending conditions
The heavy industrial sector saw large gains, while institutional and infrastructure segments dropped.
By Matthew Thibault • Feb. 14, 2024 -
Regional Report
Dallas bucks national office construction slump
The city leads the U.S. in office space under construction, according to commercial real estate services firms Cushman & Wakfield and CBRE.
By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 9, 2024 -
Construction planning inches higher despite commercial weakness
Though Dodge Construction Network expects momentum to pick back up in the second half, private project planning remains challenged by a difficult financing environment.
By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 9, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Public construction spending soars, but private projects still face hurdles
Highway and street projects are flush with cash, but high interest rates, labor shortages and regulatory delays are weighing on commercial projects.
By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 2, 2024 -
The Dotted Line: Legal trends to watch in 2024
Contracts are evolving in an era of persisting supply chain problems, inflation and cyber risks, construction attorneys say.
By Julie Strupp • Jan. 30, 2024 -
Deep Dive
Why contractors are still all in on manufacturing projects
Despite the sector’s recent deceleration in starts, firms with factory construction specialization are scaling up for more demand.
By Sebastian Obando • Jan. 29, 2024