Ken Simonson's blog

Construction employment, not seasonally adjusted, rose year-over-year (y/y) from December 2024 to December 2025 in 176 (49%) of the 360 metro areas (including divisions of larger metros) for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) posts construction employment data, fell in 129 (36%), and was unchanged in 55, according to an analys [node:read-more:link]

Input prices for new nonresidential construction dipped 0.3% in December but rose 3.3% year over year (y/y), according to producer price index (PPI) data the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) posted on Friday. [node:read-more:link]

Construction spending (not adjusted for inflation) totaled $2.18 trillion in October at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 0.5% from September but down 1.0% year-over-year (y/y), the Census Bureau reported on Wednesday. Private residential construction rose 1.3% for the month but slipped 1.3% y/y. [node:read-more:link]

Input prices for new nonresidential construction rose 0.4% in November, not seasonally adjusted, and 3.6% year-over-year (y/y), according to producer price index (PPI) data the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) posted on Wednesday. The y/y change was the largest since January 2023. [node:read-more:link]

Contractors are generally much less optimistic about the outlook for nonresidential and multifamily construction in 2026 than a year ago, apart from data centers and power projects, based on the 2026 AGC/Sage Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Survey, which AGC released on Thursday. [node:read-more:link]

Total construction starts plunged 20.5% from October to November at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, Dodge Construction Network reported on December 22, erasing a similar percentage gain initially reported for October. [node:read-more:link]

Construction employment, seasonally adjusted, totaled 8,332,000 in in November, an increase of 28,000 from October, according to AGC’s analysis of data the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) posted on Tuesday. [node:read-more:link]

Contractors are invited to complete the AGC/Sage 2026 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook  [node:read-more:link]

Construction employment, seasonally adjusted, totaled 8,305,000 in September, an increase of 19,000 from the downwardly revised August total and up 38,000 (0.5%) year-over-year (y/y), according to AGC’s analysis of data the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [node:read-more:link]

For the second month in a row, the shutdown of federal agencies has prevented the release of construction spending and employment data this week. ADP provides a partial substitute for employment data based on analysis of over 26 million employees for whom it processes payrolls. [node:read-more:link]