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 in April, not seasonally adjusted, increased 0.4% from March and 2.5% year-over-year (y/y) from April 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Thursday. 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.

Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose in 39 states from March 2016 to March 2017, held steady in West Virginia, and fell in 10 states and the District of Columbia, an AGC analysis of BLS data released today showed. Oregon again had the largest percentage gain (9.2%, 8,200 jobs), followed by Nevada (8.3%, 6,200), Rhode Island (8.2%, 1,500) and Florida (7.9%, 36,500).

Nonfarm payroll employment in March increased by 98,000, seasonally adjusted, from February and by 2,185,000 (1.5%) year-over-year (y/y), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The unemployment rate declined to 4.5% from 4.7% in February. Construction employment increased by 6,000, following a 59,000-job jump in February, the largest one-month gain in 11 years.

Dodge, ConstructConnect, ABI, Census find divergent starts, design and permit trendsThe value of construction starts rose 2% from January to February at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, Dodge Data & Analytics reported on Tuesday. "This was the second straight monthly increase, following a 15% hike in January [revised up from an initial estimate of +12%], as construction starts regained the upward track following four consecutive monthly declines to close out 2016. Much of February's advance came from a strong performance by the public works sector, led by the start of a $1.4 billion natural gas pipeline in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, plus an improved level of highway and bridge construction. The electric utility/gas plant category also strengthened with the start of two large power plants and a major transmission line project. At the same time, nonresidential building made a partial retreat [-9%] after its strong January performance, yet still remained slightly above its average monthly pace during 2016.