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ConstructConnect's Project Stress Index - November 6 Blog Feature

By: Michael Guckes, Chief Economist on November 7, 2023

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ConstructConnect's Project Stress Index - November 6

Project Stress Index registered 120.2, indicating that last week’s project stress conditions were 20.2% above their 2021 average level.

Click here to download a copy of the Project Stress Index

COMPOSITE OVERVIEW: The project stress index composite represents an equal-weight measure of the seasonally adjusted level of pre-construction projects that have experienced a delayed bid date, have been placed on hold, or have been abandoned in the last 30-days. For the week ending November 4th, 2023, the Index registered 114.9, indicating that last week’s project stress conditions were 14.9% above their 2021 average level. The Index decreased by 4.4% week over week. The week’s substantial change was driven by a -5% and -8% change in on hold and abandoned projects respectively. The level of bid date delayed projects increased by less than 1% in the latest reading.

COMPONENTS MONITOR:

Delay Bid Date On Hold Abandoned

2023-11-06 - Composite

Sector Status Update: Public and private sector project stress results can trend independently of one another in part due to their different funding mechanisms. There have been several notable trends in recent project stress data by sector. After reaching a 1-year high in early October, the absolute level of public projects put on hold fell slightly for the third time in the last four weeks. Unfortunately, the last five weeks of comparable private projects have formed an elevated plateau of all-time high readings. The absolute level of private projects placed on hold is presently several times greater than at any time since at least 2020; however, the average weekly count of such projects forms a low base for comparison. Both private and public abandoned project counts fell strongly in the latest week. This is in keeping with cyclical norms which often experience falling abandoned project levels as we move towards year end.

 

About the Project Stress Index

The Project Stress Index (PSI) monitors the level of U.S. construction projects, excluding single family residential, that have experienced a bid date delay, have been placed on hold, or have been abandoned over the last 30 days. Each component has been indexed against the average of their weekly values recorded during 2021. The independent tracking of each status type gives unique insights into the timing, direction, and amplitude of market changes.

Additional information about the PSI, including detailed data about the individual readings for delayed, on hold, and abandoned projects can be found here.

About Michael Guckes, Chief Economist

Michael Guckes is regularly featured as an economics thought leader in national media, including USA Today, Construction Dive, and Marketplace from APM. He started in construction economics as a leading economist for the Ohio Department of Transportation. He then transitioned to manufacturing economics, where he served five years as the chief economist for Gardner Business Media. He covered all forms of manufacturing, from traditional metalworking to advanced composites fabrication. In 2022, Michael joined ConstructConnect's economics team, shifting his focus to the commercial construction market. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Kenyon College and his MBA from the Ohio State University.