ABC Construction Backlog Falls to 8.1 Months as Data Center Divide Widens
ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator for US nonresidential construction fell to 8.1 months in October. The decline came entirely from contractors without data center work, while data center contractors saw backlog rise.
The Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator for US nonresidential construction fell to 8.1 months in October, down 0.6 months from September. The survey of member contractors was conducted between 20 October and 3 November and released on 10 November.
Backlog in the infrastructure category dropped to 8.7 months, its lowest level since May 2025, while heavy industrial backlog rose to a 15-month peak. Chief economist Anirban Basu said the entire decline came from the 88 percent of contractors not working on data centers: their backlog fell from 8.3 to 7.6 months, while contractors with data center work — most with revenues above $100 million — rose from 11.3 to 11.5 months.
The association's Construction Confidence Index showed rising profit margins but declines in sales expectations and staffing, all still above the threshold of 50. ABC described the release as the first survey to measure the construction market split by data center effects.