Bryan Gottlieb

Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business trends across the construction sector.

email: gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591

A resilient U.S. construction economy continues to expand at the top, even as cash-flow pressure and workforce shortages build beneath the surface.

Economic Analysis

Construction’s Split-screen Economy: Resilience at the Top, Strain Below

Private-sector reports offer snapshot of construction and design-industry performance as federal data remain unavailable

Bryan Gottlieb

October 10, 2025

With federal data frozen by the shutdown, new industry reports reveal steady growth in design services but rising financial and labor pressures.

In August 2025, iron and steel prices increased by 9.2% year over year, contributing to a rise in overall construction input costs.

Economic Indicators

Construction Faces Higher Costs, Weaker Jobs Amid PPI Downturn

August PPI slipped overall, but metals and fuel pushed construction inputs higher

Bryan Gottlieb

September 11, 2025

Producer prices fell in August, but construction input costs climbed as metals and diesel rose. With jobs revised lower, contractors face uneven pressures closing out 2025.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW ; 1 IIBEC CEH; 0.1 IACET CEU

On-Demand Designing a high-performance building enclosure requires more than just surface-level protection; it demands a rigorous, performance-based mastery of below-grade water and gas mitigation. This discussion will provide an expert-level analysis of below-grade waterproofing within the comprehensive framework of the high-performance building enclosure.

Credit: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 IIBEC CEH; 0.1 ICC CEU

On-Demand This course provides visual examples of actual field conditions. Some good, some not so good; along with design suggestions that can cut installation costs and reduce construction change orders. Upon completion of this course, you will have a better understanding of the requirements the roofing contractor must meet to provide the specified roofing system warranty, and long-term value to the owner.

Bryan Gottlieb

ARTICLES

Construction’s Split-screen Economy: Resilience at the Top, Strain Below

Construction Faces Higher Costs, Weaker Jobs Amid PPI Downturn

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