2025 Construction Industry Safety Challenges Study Results

The J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights in collaboration with the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has released their 2025 Construction Industry Safety Challenges study.

This benchmark report gives construction professionals a clearer picture of today’s most pressing safety and compliance issues and how these issues are affecting job site practices and overall performance.

Key Industry Insights

• Labor shortages (38%), rising material costs (35%) and job site safety (32%) were the top three challenges cited by respondents.
• 54% reported that inconsistent wear by workers was the greatest challenge to PPE practices.
• 51% take employee mental health only “somewhat seriously” or “not at all seriously.”
• 48% were only “somewhat confident” to “not confident at all” their current training prepares employees to perform the job safely and in compliance with regulations.
• 38% lack a proactive approach to safety and regulatory compliance.

The full study is available for free to the public via J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. or the ASSP website.

Construction Materials Prices Continue To Rise, Up 3.5% Since Last September

Construction input prices increased 0.2% in September compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released in November. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.2% for the month. Overall construction input prices were 3.5% higher than in September 2024, while nonresidential construction input prices were 3.8% higher. Prices decreased in all three energy categories in September. Natural gas and unprocessed energy materials prices were down 8.7% and 3.0%, respectively, while crude petroleum prices were down 1.7% in September. “Construction input prices rose for the fifth straight month in September,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While that represents the longest streak of monthly increases since the first half of 2022, those increases are relatively modest. Materials prices have risen at a 3.2% annualized rate since April, a rate that is faster than ideal but nowhere near the escalation that occurred in 2021 and 2022. “Unfortunately, it’s unclear how higher tariffs on key materials like iron and steel and aluminum and copper will affect prices over the next several months, and it’s noteworthy that commodities related to those materials have exhibited significant year-over-year price increases,” said Basu. “Despite the prospect of ongoing materials price escalation, contractors remain cautiously upbeat about their profit margins and sales over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.”

Visit abc.org/economics for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index, plus analysis of spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index.

ABC: Construction Job Openings Remain ‘Extraordinarily Low’ in October

The construction industry had 213,000 job openings on the last day of October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting.

Industry job openings decreased by 18,000 in October and are down by 36,000 from the same time last year.

“The number of open, unfilled construction jobs remained extraordinarily low in October,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Hires, on the other hand, fell sharply for the month. This is consistent with other recent data, most of which has shown that the construction industry has been in a state of contraction throughout the majority of 2025.

“Because of the government shutdown, this JOLTS release is the most current indication of construction industry activity, and more updated data will not be available until later this month,” said Basu. “Despite what has been a fairly dismal stretch of industry data, contractors remain upbeat about their hiring intentions over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.”

Visit abc.org/economics for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index, plus analysis of spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index.

NASBP SmartBrief poll published in the Dec 3, 2025 NASBP SmartBrief. Sign up for their free weekly newsletter. Reprinted with permission from NASBP.

AGC

Construction Input Costs Rise Again In September As Metals, Diesel And Concrete Products Drive Year-over-year Increases

Contractors Face Renewed Cost Pressures as Key Materials Show Firming Prices Across 2025

The producer price index for materials and services used in nonresidential construction rose 0.2 percent in September and 3.2 percent from September 2024, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released on November 25. Association officials said the latest figures underscore how cost pressures are resurfacing for contractors even as overall demand in several private-sector construction segments remains muted.

“Persistent input-price pressure, even when the increases are modest, creates a stop and go rhythm in procurement and production instead of a steady flow contractors and suppliers need.” said Macrina Wilkins, the association’s senior research analyst. She noted that “these month-to-month swings make it harder for firms to plan confidently and protect already-thin margins.”

Several major input categories saw notable year-over-year increases. The producer price index for aluminum mill shapes increased 1.7 percent last month and 26 percent from September 2024. While the index for steel mill products fell 1.5 percent in September, it climbed by 12.4 percent over the past 12 months. The index for precast concrete products inched up 0.3 percent for the month and 5.5 percent year-over-year. Diesel fuel, a critical input for off-road equipment and transportation, rose 1.8 percent for the month and 8.2 percent year over year.

Association officials said the September data shows that contractors are facing modest but persistent increases in input costs even as bid prices have begun to cool. They noted that this imbalance, where materials costs edge higher while final demand and pricing power soften, is adding pressure for firms at a time when several private sector markets remain uneven. Uncertainty around future tariff levels and global trade conditions is adding another layer of caution, making it harder for contractors to plan procurement or secure long-term pricing with confidence.

“Contractors can manage modest cost increases, but they need a predictable environment to keep projects moving,” said Jeffrey D. Shoaf, the chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America. “Greater clarity on tariff policy and progress on outstanding trade issues would help stabilize materials markets and give firms more confidence to plan for the work ahead.

View producer price index data.