ABC’s Construction Backlog Surges in May, Contractor Confidence Slips

WASHINGTON, June 16-Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 9.1 months in May, according to an ABC member survey conducted May 20 to June 3. The reading is up 0.3 months from April and 0.7 months from May 2025.

View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series.

Backlog for the month increased in every region except for the South. Despite the monthly movement, the South remains the region with the longest backlog and the largest year-over-year increase in backlog.

ABC's Construction Confidence Index readings for sales, profit margins and staffing levels fell in May. The readings for all three components remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations for growth over the next six months.

"Backlog rose to a nearly three-year high in May," said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. "This increase largely reflects the massive data center investments taking place across the nation, as the 14% of ABC members under contract to work on data centers continue to have much higher backlog (11.6 months) than those that are not (8.6 months). The way this boom is disproportionately benefiting larger contractors helps to explain why contractor confidence slipped in May even as backlog continued to climb."

Note: The reference months for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series were revised on May 12, 2020, to better reflect the survey period. CBI quantifies the previous month's work under contract based on the latest financials available, while CCI measures contractors' outlook for the next six months. View the methodology for both indicators.