Associated Builders and Contractors’ Construction Backlog Indicator decreased to 8.4 months in May, up 0.1 months since May 2024.
ABC’s Construction Confidence Index readings for sales, profit margins and staffing levels increased in January. The readings for all three were above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months.
“The impacts of tariffs are increasingly apparent, with nearly one in four ABC member contractors reporting tariff-related project cancellations or delays in May,” ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said in a statement. “While 87% of survey respondents have been notified of tariff-related materials price increases, profit margin expectations actually improved in May.”
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