National nonresidential construction spending expanded 0.7 percent in August to its highest level since the U.S. Census Bureau began the data series in 2002, according to an ABC analysis. Total nonresidential spending stood at $762.7 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate in August, which represents an increase of 8.4 percent compared to one year ago. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.2 percent in August largely due to a 1.3 percent decline in power-related spending and public nonresidential spending increased 2 percent.

On Sept. 27 and 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed three bills (H.R. 6757, H.R. 6756 and H.R. 6760) that comprise the Tax Reform 2.0 package. ABC key voted these three bills and appreciates the important work of the House in moving these bills forward and building on the successes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. These bills now move to the Senate, where their fate will likely be determined after the November elections by whichever party is in control of the Congress in 2019. 

Larry Lopez, president and chief executive officer of Green JobWorks, Baltimore, and chairman of ABC’s Diversity Committee, testified today before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access on how recent economic growth is positively impacting local communities. Lopez outlined how small businesses—which account for the majority of U.S. construction firms—are benefiting because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and other pro-business policies implemented by Congress and the Trump administration.

Is your company among the biggest and the best? Find out when ABC publishes the ABC Top Performers lists to recognize member contractors’ achievements in safety, quality, diversity, project excellence, federal designations and revenue, ranked by work hours. 

ABC member company S & B Engineers and Constructors Ltd. celebrated the grand opening this week of their new Craft Education and Skills Enhancement Center, a 12,500-square-foot education facility that includes three classrooms and five bays for hands-on craft education activities. Located in Baytown, Texas, the facility provides skill enhancement opportunities for S & B’s construction workforce across multiple disciplines, including welding, pipefitting, electrical, millwright, civil and rigging, carpentry, crane operating, ironworking, scaffolding and safety. 

In front of a nearly sold-out crowd of more than 41,000 people, 2018 National Craft Championships gold medalists and the Craft Professional of the Year stood on the Washington Nationals baseball field July 3 and were honored for their hard work as trained craftsmen. The crowd cheered them on while the ABC logo spread across the stadium, showcasing the theme of the night—free enterprise.

Construction contractors remained confident during the second quarter of 2018, according to the latest Construction Confidence Index released today by ABC. More than three in four construction firms expect that sales will continue to rise over the next six months, while three in five expect higher profit margins. More than seven in 10 expect to bolster staffing levels, though that proportion has fallen relative to the previous quarter, perhaps in part due to the skilled labor shortage in the United States. 

On Sept. 14, the National Labor Relations Board published a proposed rule that would establish an updated standard for determining joint-employer liability under the National Labor Relations Act. The proposal aims to foster predictability, consistency and stability in the determination of joint-employer status, and therefore clarifies the standard in a way that promotes meaningful collective bargaining and advances the purposes of the NLRB.

More than 500 ABC members gathered in Washington, D.C., during ABC Legislative Week 2018 for meetings with top administration and congressional leaders on the issues that impact the merit shop construction industry at both the federal and state levels. Members attended the ABC Diversity & Inclusion Summit, Young Professionals Symposium, Free Enterprise Alliance Reception, Legislative Day and Legal Conference.

ABC reports that its Construction Backlog Indicator expanded to a record 9.9 months during the second quarter of 2018. Backlog is up 12.2 percent from the first quarter and 14 percent compared to the same time last year. “Construction backlog has never been higher in the history of this series,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While contractors collectively reported a higher backlog, it was the industrial contractor segment that had the largest increase in the second quarter.”