Construction activity may have started to find its footing beyond data center builds in April, according to the latest construction economic reports.
Planning activity improved throughout the month along with an increase in total construction innovations. The job backlog rose to a 10-month high, while job openings hit a 2026 high.
But much of the industry’s momentum still flowed through familiar channels.
Data centers continued to be the main driver of planning growth. Large contractors, on the other hand, continue to capture most of these late gains.
Public infrastructure and AI-related projects accounted for much of the spending growth. Other areas of private construction continued to soften, such as manufacturing construction.
Rising material costs also continued as most materials saw another round of price increases throughout the month. Input prices rose month-on-month in April, driven by tariff-sensitive energy and materials.
Read Construction Dive’s roundup of the latest economic data below.
