The Cost of construction materials remains 37% higher than pre-pandemic according to latest ABC analysis

​The price of construction materials rose 1.3% in January 2023 alone, according to new data by Associated Builders and Contractors. In addition to being 1.3% higher than December 2022 figures, the prices are also 4.9% higher than this time last year, the smallest annual increase since January 2021.

​“Recent employment and retail sales reports indicate that the economy is not slowing nearly as quickly as predicted,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu in reaction to the latest figures. “That is the good news. The bad news is that the economy remains overheated, a phenomenon neatly reflected in the January PPI data, which indicated that construction input price gains accelerated on a monthly basis. For instance, construction machinery and equipment prices expanded 3.4% in January and are up more than 12% during the past year.” 
Read the full Article Here!