Confidence among equipment managers fell in the first quarter, according to the Equipment Manager Confidence Index, published by Construction Equipment. The Q1 2022 Index is 99, down significantly from the 114 reported in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Index returned to its lowest point, recorded in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic. The Index recorded its highest level last quarter, which exacerbates the turnaround. The Index measures equipment manager confidence on a scale of 0 to 200, with 200 indicating full confidence that the next month will be “better.” “The optimism of the infrastructure bill has been hampered by ongoing supply chain restrictions and the highest inflation in 40 years,” says Rod Sutton, editorial director of Construction Equipment. “Manufacturers’ backlogs are growing, and diesel prices are spiking. Confidence is being tested as the expectation that projects are in the offing bumps up against uncertainty about whether current economic realities will be short- or long-term conditions. READ FULL ARTICLE>>
