That divide between haves and have-nots may only widen going forward. \u201cWhile data center work should continue apace over the next few quarters, the conflict in Iran \u2026 may suppress demand for other forms of construction work due to elevated materials prices, borrowing costs and uncertainty,\u201d said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist, in a news release.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDive Insight:<\/h3>\n
Regionally, the Middle States saw the largest gains, with backlog growing by a full month from January to February. Year over year, the region posted the only gain nationally, growing by 1.2 months. That reflects a continued recovery in the area since the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s notable that backlog growth has been confined to the Middle States region,\u201d Basu said. \u201cAfter struggling in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, the Midwest has posted surprisingly strong population and economic growth over the past year, and that growth has clearly translated into increased levels of construction activity.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Construction](\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/kZL-OyxrqnGCchDsKDQOrke0PxWqpvQr-8JV27p4U2E\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9TY3JlZW5zaG90XzIwMjYtMDMtMTBfYXRfMS4yOC40MVBNLnBuZw==.webp\"\/)
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Courtesy of Associated Builders and Constractors<\/p>\n
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While the commercial and institutional and heavy industrial sectors saw month-over-month backlog increases in February, the infrastructure segment gave back its stand-out gains from January, dropping back to 8.9 months of work from its previous 10.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nDespite the uneven results across sectors and regions, contractors remained largely upbeat. According to the Construction Confidence Index, which measures building pros\u2019 outlooks for the next six months, expectations for sales and hiring increased. Although the projection for profit margin growth came in slightly lower in February than the previous month, all three indicators remained above 50, indicating expectations of growth.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n