The construction industry is large, dynamic, and complex, requiring timely and accurate data on its businesses to guide safety and health interventions.

This story-dashboard summarizes business characteristics of both employer (payroll) and nonemployer establishments (independent contractors and self-employed entities without employees and payroll). (Information on business owners can be found on the Demographics of Construction Business Owners dashboard.)

Data used for the dashboard are publicly available from the U.S. Census Bureau, including 1) Economic Census (2002-2017), 2) Annual Business Survey (2017), and 3) Nonemployer Statistics (2008-2017). The final year included in the story-dashboard is 2017, as this is the most recent Economic Census data.

The dashboard contains four sets of charts, which can be navigated by clicking on the blue caption boxes or the arrows at the top of the dashboard. The charts summarize data on construction businesses in four categories: 1) Employer Establishments and Employees, 2) Employer Establishments Revenue, 3) Employer Firm Features, and 4) Nonemployer Establishments.

Information on specific charts and instructions for dashboard use are included in the information icon located to the right of each dashboard title. To get a full view of the dashboard on a mobile device, zoom out slightly and use landscape mode, which will provide a better navigation experience.

You can download the data as a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is color-coded for each set of charts, and each worksheet’s name is based on the corresponding dashboard chart.

The dashboard will be updated when new Economic Census data are available. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected].

Recommended Citation: CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. [2021]. Characteristics of Construction Businesses [dashboard].