Construction backlog rose to 8.8 months in July, up 0.4 months year-over-year, despite declining contractor confidence in profit margins, ABC reported.
The latest job numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show slowed hiring in June, with companies laying off workers at a historically slow pace and remaining sluggish about hiring.
The construction industry added 15,000 jobs in June, bringing the year-over-year total to 121,000. However, rising costs, project delays and high interest rates are squeezing contractor margins.
Construction job openings rose slightly in May to 245,000 but remain down 35% from last year. Despite slow hiring, over half of contractors expect growth ahead.
President Donald Trump’s deportation policy reversals — initially shielding farms and hotels, then reversing course — leave roofing contractors exposed amid workforce raids and visa program gaps. Trade groups have been actively contacting members of Congress.
The Associated Builders and Contractors trade group, which has long opposed mandated project labor agreements, or PLAs, states that it will continue to challenge the project labor agreement
mandate in court.
Nonresidential construction dipped in April as private demand weakened. Roofing contractors face pressure from tariffs, labor shortages and rising costs, but see promise in data centers and public projects.
ABC encourages the construction industry to transform the status quo and view all incidents as preventable, pointing to eight years of data demonstrating how making safety a priority can save lives.