News
ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Steady in August, Contractors Remain Confident
Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 9.2 months in August, down 0.1 month, according to an ABC member survey conducted from Aug. 21 to Sept. 6. The reading is 0.5 months above the August 2022 level....
Learn More About the New DOL Overtime Proposed Rule
On Aug. 30, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a new proposed rulemaking that would alter overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposal increases the minimum salary level threshold to $55,068 annually for a full-year worker and...
Nonresidential Construction Spending Increased Slightly in July, Says ABC
National nonresidential construction spending grew 0.1% in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.08 trillion...
NLRB Revives Controversial 2014 ‘Ambush’ Election Rule; ABC Opposes Again
Despite being litigated for years, the Biden administration’s National Labor Relations Board has revived controversial policy from the Obama era in the form of its Representation-Case Procedures final rule. The direct final rule, issued without notice and the...
OMB Announces New Guidance on Buy America Requirements
On Aug. 14, the Office of Management and Budget announced final guidance to revise OMB’s Guidance for Grants and Agreements. This guidance defines the rules for federal agencies as they distribute funding through grant programs and other financial assistance. The...
FAR Issues Proposed Rule on Sustainable Procurement in Federal Contracting
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council plans to issue a proposed rule on Aug. 3, 2023, that would establish new requirements for “sustainable procurement” in federal contracting. The proposal complies with Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries...
NLRB Overrules Boeing, Creating Confusion in the Workplace
On Aug. 2, the National Labor Relations Board issued a decision in Stericycle Inc., which overruled Boeing and adopted a new legal standard for evaluating employer work rules challenged as facially unlawful under Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act....
Nonresidential Construction Employment Increases in July
The construction industry added 19,000 jobs on net in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has expanded by 198,000 jobs, an...
Nonresidential Construction Spending Increases Slightly in June
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending is up 18% over the past 12 months. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis,...
Construction Job Openings Decreased by 5,000 in June
The construction industry had 374,000 job openings on the last day of June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any...