“Many contractors are quickly working through existing backlog,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Because the virus remains deeply problematic and many communities are rolling back reopening plans, the partial economic rebound observed in May and June is set to flatten. The implication is that while many contractors will continue to work through backlog for the balance of 2020, it may be difficult to secure work for 2021, as fewer projects are bid out and project starts become increasingly rare.
“There are exceptions, of course,” said Basu. “Backlog in the heavy industrial category has increased and many contractors are reporting more activity in fulfillment and data center construction as the e-commerce boom persists. But with project financing becoming increasingly challenging and with state and local governments in rough fiscal shape, the nonresidential construction environment is not shaping up to be a positive one, absent a meaningful infrastructure package.” |