• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Groundbreak Carolinas

MENUMENU
  • News
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • 2020 ABC of the Carolinas EIC Awards
    • AEC Industry Blogs
    • AEC School Directory
    • Asbestos Resources
    • Content Marketing
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Economic Forecasts
    • GroundBreak Carolinas Newsletter Archive
    • Health and Wellness
    • New Silica Standard Resources
    • Workforce Development Resources
  • Subscribe

GroundBreak Carolinas

Your source for construction industry news in the Carolinas

MENUMENU
  • Featured
  • Business
    • Accounting
    • Government Affairs
    • Management
    • Human Resources
    • Finance, Bonding, & Insurance
    • Leadership
    • Marketing & BD
    • Operations Management
    • Legal
    • Risk Management
    • Technology
  • Markets
    • Commercial
    • Distribution / Warehouse
    • Government Facilities
    • Health Care
    • Hotels / Hospitality
    • Industrial/Manufacturing
    • Mission Critical / Data Centers
    • Residential/Multi-Family Residential
    • Office Buildings
    • Power / Energy
    • Retail / Shopping Centers
    • Roads, Bridges and Highways
    • Schools (K-12 and Higher Education)
    • Strategy
  • Workforce
    • Apprenticeships
    • Education
      • Colleges
      • High Schools
      • Technical Schools
    • Recruiting
    • Safety
    • Training
    • Veterans Programs
  • Operations
    • Architecture
    • Contracting
    • Energy
    • Engineering
    • Equipment
    • Facilities
    • Products
  • Projects
  • People
  • Economic Development
  • Partners
  • News
  • Events
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • AEC Industry Blogs
    • AEC School Directory
    • Asbestos Resources
    • Content Marketing
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Economic Forecasts
    • GroundBreak Carolinas Newsletter Archive
    • New Silica Standard Resources
    • Workforce Development Resources
  • Let’s Talk Construction

Business | Contracting

Contractors Remain Upbeat in Q2, According to ABC’s Latest Construction Confidence Index

by ABC on September 26, 2018

Construction contractors remained confident during the second quarter of 2018, according to the latest Construction Confidence Index released by Associated Builders and Contractors.

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. All three key components measured by the survey — sales, profit margins and staffing levels — remain well above the diffusion index threshold of 50, signaling ongoing expansion in construction activity.

The survey found:

• CCI for sales expectations increased from 72.2 to 72.6 during the second quarter of 2018.
• CCI for profit margin expectations increased from 63.4 to 64.5.
• CCI for staffing levels decreased from 70.2 to 69.5 but remains elevated by historical standards.

“The U.S. economy remains steady, creating opportunities for general and subcontractors alike,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Recently, infrastructure has been one of the primary drivers and, despite the absence of a federal infrastructure package, state and local governments have expanded their capital outlays. A number of states are also now running hefty budget surpluses, creating the capital and confidence necessary to drive public construction forward. As evidence, construction spending in the water supply category is up 29 percent on a year-over-year basis, conservation and development (e.g. flood control) by 24 percent, transportation by nearly 21 percent, public safety-related spending by 17 percent, and sewage and waste disposal by 11 percent.

ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu

“The confidence expressed by contractors is consistent with a number of other leading indicators, including the Architecture Billings Index and ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator,” said Basu. “With financial markets surging, the nation producing a record number of available job openings, and both consumer and business confidence elevated, chances for a significant slowdown in nonresidential construction activity in late 2018 and into 2019 are remote. That helps explain why only about six percent of contractors expect sales to decline over the next six months.

“The longer-term outlook is not as clear,” said Basu. “Interest rates are rising, construction workers and materials have become more expensive and asset prices have become further elevated and therefore increasingly vulnerable to correction. There is also some evidence of overbuilding in certain real estate segments in some communities. Tariff increases and associated retaliation serve as yet another threat to longer-term economic momentum, as do faltering government pension funds. But for now, construction firms can expect to remain busy improving the nation’s built environment. A shortage of skilled workers remains the primary issue, which is expected to continue as more workers retire and insufficient workers join the skilled construction trades.”

CCI is a diffusion index. Readings above 50 indicate growth, while readings below 50 are unfavorable.

Topics: Business, Contracting
ABC, Construction Confidence, Economy

Primary Sidebar

What We’re Reading

  • Biz: Demand for industrial space remains intense
    Source: Raleigh Business Journal Published on May 9, 2025
  • Krispy Kreme sinks after 2025 forecast withdrawn
    Source: Business North Carolina Published on May 8, 2025
  • North Carolina offered $300M to lure 4,000-job factory. It went to Ohio instead
    Source: Raleigh Business Journal Published on May 8, 2025
  • AIRSYS Cooling Technologies breaks ground on $40M global HQ in Woodruff
    Source: Upstate Business Journal Published on May 8, 2025
  • Fortune 500 company plans $380M manufacturing project in Charlotte region
    Source: Charlotte Business Journal Published on May 8, 2025

Recent Posts

  • IT & Cybersecurity: Safeguarding the Modern Construction Company
  • 2025 GroundBreakers: Who is Influencing the Industry? Submit your Nomination
  • Clemson University Dedicates Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center
  • Taking Flight with DISC: Revolutionizing Team Dynamics in Construction
  • Little Diversified Architectural Consulting Earns Just Label from Living Future
  • Search
  • News
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • 2020 ABC of the Carolinas EIC Awards
    • AEC Industry Blogs
    • AEC School Directory
    • Asbestos Resources
    • Content Marketing
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Economic Forecasts
    • GroundBreak Carolinas Newsletter Archive
    • Health and Wellness
    • New Silica Standard Resources
    • Workforce Development Resources
  • Subscribe

Footer

  • About GBC
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Editorial
  • Submit Event
  • Partnerships/Contributors

Sponsorship Opportunities

Join Our Mailing List

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
By clicking Submit you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2025 GroundBreak Carolinas LLC.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use