Economy
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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 Zachary Phillips • Oct. 11, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Oct. 8, 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 -
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 -
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 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Oct. 3, 2024 -
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 Zachary Phillips • Oct. 2, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Oct. 1, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Sept. 26, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Sept. 18, 2024 -
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 -
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 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Sept. 13, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Sept. 12, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Sept. 11, 2024 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 Zachary Phillips • Sept. 5, 2024 -
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 Sebastian Obando • Sept. 3, 2024 -
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 -
Economic Reports
The 9 largest commercial construction starts of July 2024
Total groundbreakings for the month jumped 10% ahead of the Fed’s likely rate cut, according to Dodge Construction Network.
By Sebastian Obando • Aug. 26, 2024 -
Lendlease reports $1B loss as it sells off US work
The Australian company is moving away from international projects with a plan to deploy funds from divesting into successful sectors at home.
By Zachary Phillips • Aug. 20, 2024 -
‘Momentum’ the word of the day for Balfour Beatty
The London-based builder reversed its decline in pre-tax profit and signaled that it is eyeing big opportunities in U.K. and U.S. markets.
By Matthew Thibault • Aug. 16, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Rising energy costs drive up construction inputs
Following two consecutive months of relief, price hikes in petroleum and natural gas pushed costs higher for the first time since April.
By Sebastian Obando • Aug. 15, 2024 -
Economic Reports
Construction backlog stagnates, squeezing smaller contractors
Only the country’s largest contractors have a longer backlog than they did last year, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.
By Sebastian Obando • Aug. 13, 2024