The construction market is seeing activity from data centers and the energy infrastructure to support them. But other factors are dragging the sector down: The Iran war is spiking inflation; tariffs are driving up material costs; and immigration crackdowns are hurting labor.
The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) latest report finds that December 2025’s market conditions in the manufacturing sector continued to soften.
The Chicago Business Barometer, a leading indicator for the broader US economy, remains in contraction, slipping 5.6 points to 41.5 in August.
All districts reported "hesitancy and a cautious approach to business and household decisions,” according to the Beige Book.
The Chicago Business Barometer reports that decreases in new orders, order backlogs, and softer production pulled the index down by 4.1-points to 40.5, in May.
The construction sector added 13,000 jobs, seasonally adjusted, in March, but tariffs could undermine the industry.
Despite the gain, the index remains below both the levels of November 2024 and the 2024 average.
“Price increases, while subdued, picked up,” Richard Deitz, Economic Research Advisor at the New York Fed. “Firms grew more optimistic that conditions would improve in the months ahead.”
The construction sector added 25,000 jobs in September, driven by labor shortages and improved wages, according to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Growth in the US economy continues to crawl with little change in most districts. The Federal Reserve’s October Beige Book report showed three-quarters of reporting districts with flat or declining economic activity.
The construction sector added 25,000 jobs in July, driven by improved wage gains according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
The United Kingdom and other countries are using the “green” label to subsidize bailouts of obsolete, inefficient, and excess capacity that should exit the market. US steelmakers have invested billions of dollars in technologies that curb greenhouse gas output. These investments have been market-based and led by EAF producers such as Nucor, Steel Dynamics, and CMC.
A labor judge in Mexico City has ruled that the strike of a local mining union is illegal at ArcelorMittal Mexico’s Lazaro Cardenas mill and Las Truchas mine in Michoacán state, Mexico.
Growth in the US economy continues to be constrained. The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report for July shows more areas reporting flat or declining economic activity than in its previous report at the end of May.
New York state saw a continued decline in manufacturing activity in July, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Steel is, mostly for historical reasons, a bellwether of international policy. No longer an industry of primary importance, its advocates still proclaim that it is. And steel still continues to punch above its weight in Washington, DC. Below are a few recent examples.
The local mining union has rejected a proposal to end the labor strike at ArcelorMittal Mexico’s Lazaro Cardenas mill and Las Truchas mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
Canada’s industry minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has conditionally allowed a Glencore-led consortium to acquire Teck’s Elk Valley Resources (EVR) metallurgical coal business for $6.9 billion. He also raised the bar for foreign companies wanting to buy into the country’s critical mineral resources.
The Chicago Business Barometer rebounded in June following May’s four-year low, according to Market News International (MNI) and the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).
New York state manufacturers reported dismal business conditions in June. This is the seventh consecutive month of negative readings, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
SMU’s monthly at-a-glance articles summarize important steel market metrics for the prior month. This May report contains data updated through June 7. Steel prices for sheet and plate products continued to edge lower throughout May. The SMU Price Momentum Indicator was adjusted from neutral to lower at the beginning of the month. We saw a […]
The Chicago Business Barometer tumbled lower in May, now at the lowest measure recorded since May 2020 according to Market News International (MNI) and the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).
New York state continues to see deteriorating manufacturing business conditions through May, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey
Steel prices trickled lower across the month of April for both sheet and plate products.
The Chicago Business Barometer slipped further in April, now at the lowest measure recorded since November 2022.
New York state saw a continued decline in manufacturing activity in April, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will be the featured speaker on the next SMU Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, April 17, at 11 a.m. ET. The live webinar is free. A recording will be available free to SMU members. You can register here.
The Chicago Business Barometer slipped to a 10-month low in March, according to Market News International (MNI) and the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The March Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) reading eased 2.6 points to 41.4, marking the fourth consecutive month it has been in contracting territory.
New York state manufacturing activity slipped deeper into negative territory this month, according to the latest Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The construction sector added 23,000 jobs in February, boosted by nonresidential, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).