2011-2012 ABC’ s Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) National Index (in months) 6.6 7.8 8 2.6% Construction Employment (thousands, not seasonally adjusted) – U.S. Department of Labor Nonresidential Building 660 663.9 666.6 0.4% Residential Building 571.6 559.9 568.3 1.5% Construction Spending – (millions, seasonally adjusted annual rate) – U.S. Census Bureau Total Nonresidential Lodging $11,329 $8,514 $9,025 6% Office $37,573 $34,181 $36,505 6.8% Commercial $40,522 $43,447 $46,575 7.2% Health Care $39,879 $40,621 $43,871 8.0% Educational $88,227 $85,359 $81,945 -4.0% Power $78,540 $87,519 $95,396 9.0% Manufacturing $38,106 $35,636 $38,487 8.0% Total – All Industries $554,915 $541,599 $554,414 2.4% Private Nonresidential Lodging $10,904 $7,976 $8,455 6% Office $24,231 $22,315 $24,250 8.7% Commercial $37,647 $39,988 $43,050 7.7% Health Care $30,316 $29,575 $31,960 8.1% Educational $13,356 $13,424 $13,400 -0.2% Power $66,601 $75,105 $82,000 9.2% Manufacturing $37,478 $34,956 $37,753 8% Total – All Industries $261,796 $263,538 $281,836 6.9% Public  Nonresidential Office $13,342 $11,866 $12,255 3.3% Commercial $2,876 $3,459 $3,525 1.9% Health Care $9,562 $11,046 $11,911 7.8% Educational $74,871 $71,935 $68,545 -4.7% Power $11,939 $12,414 $13,396 7.9% Total – All Industries $293,119 $278,060 $272,578 -2% Producer Price Index – U.S Department of Labor Inputs to Construction Industries – Index Value 196.8 211.6 221.5 4.7% Gross Domestic Product (2005 billions of dollars) – U.S Department of Commerce Real GDP 3% 1.6% 1.9% N/A

*= Data predictions by ABC Chief Economist

“For the most part, 2011 has been disappointing. However, recent economic news has been more positive, including data regarding the gross domestic product (GDP), business investment and exports,” Basu said. “If the U.S. economy continues to progress, eventually this will translate into more vigorous recovery in the nation’s nonresidential construction sector.

“Many prominent forecasters expect GDP to expand less than 3 percent next year. The economic recovery in the United States to date cannot sustain brisk expansion without the participation of real estate and construction activities,” Basu said. “With office vacancy rates still high, job creation still slow and lending still disciplined, 2012 is not positioned to be a year of significant progress in private investment. Public construction spending continues to decline in many communities across the United States.

“ABC anticipates ongoing improvement in the volume of privately financed construction as economic conditions gradually improve and lending institutions become more comfortable lending to deep-pocketed investors operating in stable contexts,” said Basu. “More importantly, certain leading indicators have turned the proverbial corner, including ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator. This forward-looking measurement has shown slow but steady improvement in the commercial/institutional construction category, presently associated with a backlog of 8.4 months.

“Much of the growth in recent years has emerged from publicly financed projects, including projects related to the U.S. stimulus package passed in February 2009,” Basu said. “With the impact of stimulus-funded projects steadily declining, the U.S. nonresidential construction sector will become increasingly dependent on privately financed projects for growth.

“However, certain segments are better poised for growth than others. Leading the way in recent months has been construction related to the nation’s power industry, which ABC projects to expand 11.4 percent during the course of 2011,” said Basu. “The driving force for the United States appears to be in energy, and the growth of this economic segment has been evident in a number of states, including Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. ABC expects power construction to continue to lead the way with a projected 9 percent increase in spending in 2012.

“Health care represents another likely candidate for economic expansion. This is true for a number of reasons, including thawing credit markets, the nation’s demographics and health care reform, which will continue to increase the number of Americans with insurance and therefore enhance utilization,” Basu said. “Because of this, ABC projects health care construction spending to increase by 8 percent in 2012.

“In many communities across the nation, industrial contractors can be characterized as busy, or at least increasingly occupied, while commercial contractors generally have struggled with overcapacity in 2011,” said Basu. “However, following several years of decreased spending, ABC expects lodging and office construction to progress in 2012.