Construction industry indicators were positive in November. The construction backlog indicator remained steady at 8.5 months, the same as one year earlier. The construction owner confidence index rose from 67.3 to 69.4, and sales, profit margin, and staffing level expectations all increased. The unemployment rate dipped slightly to 5.0% nationally and in construction. Housing permits increased 11.0% from one year earlier and starts increased 19.5% over the same period.

1. 0
5
10
Construction Backlog
Indicator
By the
Numbers:
Construction Owner
Confidence Index
Unemployment Rate
Housing Permits & Starts
(Bureau of Labor Statistics)
(U.S. Census Bureau & Dept. of Housing and Urban Dev.)
(Producer Price Index)
(U.S. Census Bureau)
(Associated Builders & Contractors/3rd Quarter 2015)
(Associated Builders & Contractors/1st Half of 2015)
Readings above 50 indicate growth
NonresidentialConstructionMaterialPrices
NonresidentialConstructionSpending
Overall
Current Month
SALES EXPECTATIONS
TOTAL PERMITS TOTAL STARTS
PROFIT MARGIN
EXPECTATIONS
STAFFING LEVEL
INTENTIONS
Year-over-Year
Construction
Construction Vital Statistics
rose from 67.3 to 69.4
expanded from 61.0 to 62.9
dipped slightly from 66.3 to 66.2
Current Month:
11.0% vs.
1 yr. Earlier: 19.5%
Current Month:
10.5% vs.
1 yr. Earlier: 16.5%
8.5 vs. 1 yr. Earlier: 8.8
November 2015
at a Glance
Current Month: -0.5% Year-over-year change: -4.6%
October 2015: 1.0% Year-over-year change: 11.0%
5.0% 5.8% 6.2% 7.5%

2. Reading above 50 indicate growth, while readings below 50 are unfavorable.
Any Architecture Billing Index Score above 50 signifies growth - it is a leading economic indicator that provides an
approximately nine to 12 month glimpse into the future of nonresidential construction spending activity.
It is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have
been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. Since reaching bottom
in July 2011 at a level of 77.1 (2000=100), the index has been trending up.
Rates as of mid month.
1
2
3
www.cbiz.com/construction1-800-ASK-CBIZ |
4
November 2015 at a Glance
Construction Backlog Indicator (Months)
Current Backlog
Backlog from a year ago
(Associated Builders & Contractors)
Construction Owner Confidence Index
Sales Expectations
Profit Margin Expectations
Staffing Level Intentions
(Associated Builders & Contractors)
National Unemployment Rate
Overall current month
Overall year over year
Construction current month
Construction year over year
(Bureau of Labor Statistics - BLS)
National Housing Permits and Starts
Permits - Total
Permits - Total from twelve months earlier
1 - Family - change from previous month
1 - Family - change year over year
5 + Units - change from previous month
5 + Units - change year over year
Starts - Total
Starts - Total from twelve months earlier
1 - Family - change from previous month
1 - Family - change year over year
5 + Units - change from previous month
5 + Units - change year over year
(U.S. Census Bureau & Dept. of Housing and Urban Dev.)
Nonresidential Construction Material Prices
Current Month
Change year over year
(Producer Price Index - PPI)
Nonresidential Construction Spending
Previous Month
Change year over year
(U.S. Census Bureau)
AIA - Architecture Billing Index
Dodge Momentum Index - Commercial Building
Interest Rates
I-Month LIBOR
WSJ Prime Rate
5 Year US Treasury Rate
10 Year US Treasury Rate
Jun. ‘15 Jul. ‘15
8.5
8.5
Aug. ‘15
5.3%
6.1%
6.3%
8.2%
7.4%
30.0%
0.9%
6.0%
16.1%
79.0%
9.8%
26.6%
0.9%
14.7%
28.6%
55.0%
0.3%
-3.6%
1.1%
8.1%
55.7
126.1
0.1859%
3.25%
1.63%
2.36%
1
2
4
8.4
8.1
67.3
61.0
66.3
2nd 1/2 ‘14
1st Qtr. ‘15 2nd Qtr. ‘15
3
Arizona Unemployment Rate
5.9%
6.3%
6.9%
California Unemployment Rate
Nevada Unemployment Rate
West Housing Permits and Starts
Overall current month
Overall current month
Overall current month
Permits - Total
Permits - Total from twelve months earlier
1 - Family - change from previous month
1 - Family - change year over year
Starts - Total
Starts - Total from twelve months earlier
1 - Family - change from previous month
1 - Family - change year over year
9.5%
27.4%
-3.7%
6.2%
-6.0%
9.6%
-7.1%
12.1%
5.3%
6.2%
5.5%
7.5%
6.1%
6.2%
6.8%
-16.3%
7.5%
-1.9%
6.1%
-32.6%
11.1%
0.2%
10.1%
12.8%
19.0%
-17.1%
-2.1%
-9.9%
10.9%
-1.3%
14.8%
-3.1%
4.1%
16.6%
24.5%
-0.3%
-3.9%
0.0%
11.5%
54.7
132.1
0.1882%
3.25%
1.58%
2.16%
5.1%
6.1%
6.1%
7.7%
6.3%
6.1%
6.8%
3.5%
12.5%
2.8%
8.7%
4.3%
21.5%
-3.0%
16.6%
-3.0%
14.9%
-2.3%
24.5%
9.6%
36.4%
5.8%
28.1%
-1.1%
28.2%
-18.3%
7.3%
-0.8%
-4.7%
0.5%
12.7%
49.1
142.0
0.1968%
3.25%
1.61%
2.28%
Sep. ‘15
69.4
62.9
66.2
1st 1/2 ‘15
5.1%
5.9%
5.5%
7.0%
6.3%
5.9%
6.7%
-5.0%
4.7%
-0.3%
6.7%
-14.6%
-1.3%
6.5%
17.5%
0.3%
12.0%
17.0%
28.6%
-6.2%
15.7%
-4.9%
19.1%
25.4%
27.5%
18.2%
19.0%
-1.6%
-6.0%
0.3%
12.3%
53.7
140.0
0.2011%
3.25%
1.34%
2.04%
Oct. ‘15
5.0%
5.7%
6.2%
6.4%
6.1%
5.8%
6.6%
-2.6%
-7.0%
3.2%
19.3%
-16.2%
14.5%
1.8%
8.2%
4.1%
2.7%
2.4%
9.0%
8.3%
-7.1%
-11.0%
-1.8%
-2.4%
2.4%
-25.5%
-8.4%
-0.3%
-5.1%
-0.1%
12.4%
53.1
124.5
0.1945%
3.25%
1.66%
2.27%
Nov. ‘15
8.5
8.8
3rd Qtr. ‘15
5.0%
5.8%
6.2%
7.5%
6.0%
5.7%
6.5%
11.0%
19.5%
1.1%
9.0%
30.8%
38.9%
10.5%
16.5%
7.6%
14.6%
18.1%
21.3%
-0.5%
-4.6%
1.0%
11.0%
49.3
119.9
0.2084%
3.25%
1.71%
2.28%
21.7%
13.1%
6.2%
17.8%
6.3%
-7.3%
15.1%
31.7%