The Associated Builders and Contractors announced its Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) for the fourth quarter of 2011 declined 3.2 percent from the previous quarter from 8.1 months to 7.8 months.

However, the indicator is still up 10.9 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2010. The CBI is a forward-looking economic indicator that measures the amount of nonresidential construction work under contract to be completed in the future.

The construction backlog expanded in the Northeast from the third quarter to the fourth quarter, but declined in the South and West, and was essentially unchanged in the Middle States. Additionally, construction backlog is higher in every region of the nation compared with one year ago.