Third-quarter construction backlog mostly holds steady

Associated Builders and Contractors' average backlog of work for all nonresidential construction held fast at 8.2 months from the second quarter to the third, but some sectors were up and others continued to decline.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 19, 2013

NAHB: Home builders optimistic despite the government

The National Association of Home Builders' monthly survey showed builders holding out hope despite uncertainties.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 18, 2013

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Labor

A roundup of articles about issues affecting the workforce.

By Construction Dive staff

Despite recovery, construction's 'good old days' not expected

Business is certainly better than in the post-bubble years, but no one who writes insurance policies for the new buildings is expecting the old days to return.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 18, 2013

Affordability of U.S. homes slips in 3rd quarter

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) for July through September shows a smaller percentage of Americans can afford to own homes.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 14, 2013

Contractor predicts rise in commercial projects in 2014

Englewood Construction's "Hard Hat Chat" sees an especially bright year for mixed-use projects.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 12, 2013

Nonresidential index down in October, but still up for the year

The Dodge Momentum Index fell nine-tenths of a point in October, but at 115.3, it was still almost 25 points ahead of the 2012 close.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 12, 2013

JLL: Diversity and less residential focus drive commercial comeback

Jones Lang LaSalle says in its latest "Construction Outlook" that there are four trends in the recovery of the commercial construction sector.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 12, 2013

FMI: Construction to grow faster than GDP in 2014

Residential construction in particular will see the largest amount of growth.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 10, 2013

Construction sector up 11,000 jobs; unemployment drops to 9%

The industry had 5.834 million people at work last month, but unemployment is falling faster than jobs grow.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 8, 2013

Home prices post 12.5% annual gain, but increases should slow

In the third quarter of the year, the median price of a home was up year-over-year in 144 of 163 metro areas in the U.S., and a third of the total areas had double-digit gains.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 6, 2013

Political analysis: DeBlasio will be a pro-building mayor in NYC

A look at what newly elected New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio wants to do concludes that he will need strong development to help with the costs.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 6, 2013

Building for the high-end market? Take tips from the real estate listings

Trulia tracks what's being pushed in residential real estate listings for high-end homes to see what buyers want.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 31, 2013

Case-Shiller August data shows home-price rise is slowing

August showed the highest year-to-year gain in almost eight years, but month-to-month increases were less than July's for most of the 20-Cities Index.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 30, 2013

NYC condo tower project is reborn after recession knockout

A 1,050-foot tower adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art will be revived, thanks to $1 billion in financing from Asian banks and a wealthy family.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 29, 2013

Sunbelt benefits as Americans resume their flow south

The recession saw Americans move to new places less frequently, but the numbers are growing, according to U.S. Census data.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 29, 2013

Sept. materials prices nearly flat, most are up little year-to-year

Federal data brought good news for contractors and builders who want to compete on price without shrinking their margins.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 29, 2013

Remodeling projects grow cautiously with the economic recovery

Submissions to Professional Remodeler magazine's annual awards have provided a picture of how the economy has been doing, and it's looking up—at least for now.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 28, 2013

Survey finds global firms feeling good as they look ahead

Consulting company KPMG asked global construction and engineering about business, and they said backlogs are up—with margins up or even.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 28, 2013

Confidence among construction CFOs continues year's decline

A survey known as the CONFINDEX showed chief financial officers were not feeling optimistic in the third quarter, following a decline in the second quarter.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 27, 2013

Dodge forecast: Construction starts up 9% in 2014, but government must work smoothly

The Dodge Construction Outlook from McGraw-Hill calls for construction starts to rise next year, getting closer to where 2012 was—and well above dismal numbers in 2013.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 25, 2013

In La., shopping-center project resurrected from the recession

Livingston Parish, La., will get a commercial center, Juban Crossing, which had been languishing since it was announced in 2006.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 24, 2013

Sept. private spending on residential building at best pace in five years

Data for August, delayed by the federal shutdown, says private spending was at an annual pace of $340.2 billion.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 23, 2013

Recession over, D.C. condo project comes out of hibernation

While many things seem not to be working in Washington, D.C., a 63-unit condominium project that was put on hold during the recession is back in gear.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 22, 2013

Construction jobs up 20,000 in September: Worth the wait?

Federal officials, back from the furlough, push out jobs numbers that put construction unemployment at a six-year low.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 22, 2013

Economists have mixed messages for home builders about the market

 Bubble? No bubble? There is someone with economic credentials to support either position, which makes it hard for builders to know how heavily to bet on a continued recovery.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 21, 2013