b'Economic Update CSIA 17somemuch-neededrelieffromtherisingtrendlineincome slowing to 4.5% in 2025, compared to our of worker wages. Entry-level hourly wage increasesexpectation of 4.8% for 2024, and 5.9% for 2023, came to 3.7% in 2024 at Palisins member companies,said Hoyt. markedlylowerthanthevigorous8%-10%levels clockedforeachoftheprevioustwoyears.Maybe its a looser labor market, but employers are (Historically, such increases have tended to settle inin no hurry to trim their employee rosters. Employers the 2.5% to 3.0% range). want to maintain their ability to jump on the growth side once the economy rebounds a little, said Hoyt. Nationalfiguresconcur.TheEmploymentCostSo employment levels have held fairly steady. Index(ECI)isslowing,saidHoyt,referringtoa common measure of average worker wages. We areSupply chainsforecasting 2.8% growth in 2025, compared to 3.9% in 2024 and 4.5% in 2023.Construction companies will benefit from a national commitment to reposition supply chains in the United Despite the ongoing de-escalation in the ECI, HoytStates. Logistical issues are persuading many CEOs said it remains healthy enough to support consumerto place production closer to final consumers, said spending,asdoestheexpectedincreaseintheBasu. There is also a trend toward favoring nations nationstotalpersonalincomelevel,animportantthatprovidesignificantprotectionforintellectual driver of business activity. Like the ECI, it is expectedproperty.to follow a familiar 2025 trendline: a healthy increase despite de-escalation. Mainly because of slower jobIndeed, many contractors are concerned about the re-growth,wehavetheincreaseinwageandsalaryemergence of supply chain issues. Its taking longer continued on pg.18csiaonline.org'