Ken Simonson's blog

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Construction employment in November, spending in October climb briskly

Editor’s note:  Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 211,000 in November, seasonally adjusted, and by 2,637,000 (1.9%) year-over-year (y/y), while the unemployment rate held steady at a 7-1/2 year low of 5.0%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. Construction employment rose by 46,000 for the month (to 6,490,000) and by 259,000 (4.2%) over 12 months. The employment level was the highest since January 2009. The number of unemployed jobseekers who last worked in construction decreased from 629,000 in November 2014 to 536,000 in November 2015, the lowest November total since 2000.    [node:read-more:link]

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Value of starts jumps in October, Dodge says; costs edge up in November, IHS finds

Editor’s note:  Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

The value of new construction starts in October increased 13% from September's level at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, Dodge Data & Analytics reported on November 20, based on data it collected. "The increase follows the lackluster performance for construction starts during August and September, when activity fell to the lowest levels reported so far in 2015. Much of October's gain for total construction was due to a sharp [32%] rebound by nonresidential building, with additional support coming from a moderate [9%] upturn for housing as the result of further strengthening by multifamily housing...The nonbuilding construction sector (public works and electric utilities/gas plants) settled back [-3%] in October, reflecting a decreased amount of power plant projects. During the first 10 months of 2015, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were...up 10% from the same period a year ago. Leaving out the volatile electric utility and gas plant category, which was boosted in early 2015 by the start of several massive liquefied natural gas terminals, total construction starts during the first 10 months of 2015 would be up 4% relative to last year," with nonbuilding up 2%, residential building up 15% and nonresidential building down 6%.   [node:read-more:link]

More states add construction jobs in October; construction price and cost PPIs diverge

Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose in 43 states and the District of Columbia from October 2014 to October 2015 and declined in seven states, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released today showed. The number of places with year-over-year (y/y) gains was the most since February. California again added the most construction jobs (49,800 jobs, 7.3%), followed by New York (21,900, 6.4%) and Florida (18,700, 4.6%). Arkansas again had the steepest percentage gain (18%, 8,200 jobs), followed by Idaho (12%, 4,400), Kansas (12%, 6,900) and Nevada (11%, 7,100).    [node:read-more:link]

Employment strengthens in October; ABI, housing starts pick up in September

Editor’s note:  Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 271,000 in October, seasonally adjusted, and by 2,814,000 (2.0%) year-over-year (y/y), while the unemployment rate dropped to a 7-1/2 year low of 5.0%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. Construction employment rose by 31,000 for the month (to 6,434,000) and by 233,000 (3.8%) over 12 months.    [node:read-more:link]

Spending accelerates in September but fewer metros and states add jobs than in August

Editor’s note:  Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Construction spending in September reached a seven-year high of $1.094 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, 0.6% higher than the August rate and 14% higher than a year before, the Census Bureau reported today.  The year-over-year growth rate was the fastest since January 2006.  Year-over-year growth was widespread, but monthly declines for private nonresidential construction may signal contractors' difficulty finding enough workers with the right skills or new caution on the part of investors and owners.  Private nonresidential spending slid 0.7% for the month but increased 15% over 12 months; private residential climbed 1.9% and 17%, respectively; and public construction, 0.7% and 9.4%.   [node:read-more:link]

Construction input PPIs dive; Census probes where workers went; M&A activity is mixed

Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

The producer price index (PPI) for final demand skidded 0.7% in September and 1.1% over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Wednesday. AGC posted tables and an explanation focusing on construction prices and costs. Final demand includes goods, services and five types of nonresidential buildings that BLS says make up 34% of total construction. The PPI for final demand construction, not seasonally adjusted, was flat in September and rose 1.8% over 12 months. The overall PPI for new nonresidential building construction—a measure of the price that contractors say they would charge to build a fixed set of five categories of buildings—also climbed 1.8% since September 2014. The 12-month increases ranged from 0.2% for healthcare construction to 1.8% for schools, 1.9% for warehouses and industrial buildings, and 2.4% for offices.    [node:read-more:link]

Materials suppliers have mixed pattern on pricing; union pay accelerates slightly

Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Prices for construction materials have shown mixed tendencies lately. On Friday, securities analyst Thompson Research Group (TRG) reported the results of its monthly survey of building products firms. "All attempts for price increases in 2015 [for steel studs] have been lackluster, driven more by the reality of a precipitous drop in global steel prices....CertainTeed squashed the fall [insulation] price increase after announcing a January 2016 increase. [The] 5%-8% mid-year residential roofing price increase got off to a good start but fizzled by September. [As the third quarter of 2015] comes to a close, pricing has remained stable for both" roofing and carpeting. "We don't expect any wallboard pricing gains until next spring....Perversely, the industry could realize greater pricing in 2016 with two price increases if the current trajectory of end-market demand continues."    [node:read-more:link]

Employment growth slows nationally and among metros but spending accelerates

Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 142,000 in September, seasonally adjusted, and by 2,752,000 (2.0%) over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Construction employment rose by 8,000 for the month (to 6,396,000) and by 205,000 (3.3%) over 12 months, far below the gain of 298,000 (5.1%) in the previous year. The number of unemployed jobseekers who last worked in construction fell from 604,000 in September 2014 to 479,000 in September 2015, the lowest September total since 2000. The unemployment rate for such workers fell from 7.0% to 5.5%, the lowest September rate since 2001. (Industry unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted and should only be compared year-over-year, not across months.)    [node:read-more:link]

Fewer than half of metros add construction jobs in August; Dodge starts, ABI drop

Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Construction employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased from August 2014 to August 2015 in only 163 (46%) of the 358 metro areas (including divisions of larger metros) for which the BLS provides construction employment data, decreased in 153 (43) and was stagnant in 42, according to an AGC release and map today that analyzed BLS data. (BLS combines mining and logging with construction in most metros to avoid disclosing data about industries with few employers.) The number of metros with job increases was the smallest since late 2011. It is possible that employment gains in some metros were held down by a lack of available workers rather than lack of projects; 86% of the 1,358 respondents to an AGC survey released on September 10 said they were having difficulty filling hourly craft or salaried professional positions.    [node:read-more:link]

36 states, D.C. add construction jobs in last year; multifamily, hotel markets remain hot

Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.

Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose in 36 states and the District of Columbia from August 2014 to August 2015, declined in 13 states and held steady in North Dakota, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released today showed. The number of places with year-over-year gains was the smallest since April 2012. California again gained the most construction jobs (43,800 jobs, 6.5%), followed by Florida (25,700, 6.4%), North Carolina (13,200, 7.4%), Washington (12,800, 8.0%) and Texas (11,400, 1.7%). The highest percentage of new construction jobs were again added by Arkansas (14%, 6,200) and Idaho (10%, 3,600), followed by South Carolina (9.1%, 7,500) and Iowa (8.9%, 6,700). The steepest percentage losses again occurred in West Virginia (-15%, -5,100) and Rhode Island (-7.9%, -1,300), followed by Mississippi (-7.4%, -3,600), Ohio (-5.7%, -11,300) and New Mexico (-5.2%, -2,200).    [node:read-more:link]