Section: AGC National
ABI slips in April; construction wages in 2022 outpaced other industries; data centers replace offices
PPI for inputs rises in April but dips over 12 months; pay in construction tops U.S. median by 18%
How AGC is Building a Better Association
Construction employment climbs in 45 states in February; Dodge, ConstructConnect reports diverge
Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose from February 2022 to February 2023 in 45 states and declined in five states
‘We’re not going to have one’: AGC economist dismisses a 2023 recession
“I remain optimistic that we’re not going to have one,” said Simonson, referring to a recession
The Economic Impact of Construction in the United States and Vermont
Inflation is pushing wages higher
As inflationary pressures and a continuing labor shortage push construction wages to record levels, contractors are looking beyond monetary reimbursement to attract and keep talent.
Employment rises in 30 states in December; starts jump 27%, Dodge reports; ABI points down
Construction employment and wages climb in December; starts soar, ConstructConnect reports
Construction employment, seasonally adjusted, totaled a record-high 7,777,000 in December
Construction Adds 28,000 Employees In December And Raises Pay 6.1 Percent As Sector’s Unemployment Rate Hits Record December Low Of 4.4 Percent
Construction firms added 28,000 employees in December and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more than other sectors as the industry’s unemployment rate fell to a record low for the month
Workforce Woes in Focus
With 91% of U.S. construction firms experiencing a labor shortage, public officials have a vested interest in helping the industry to develop its workforce.
Construction spending slips in October; job openings top hires; Beige Book signals slowing demand
Changes in input costs, construction employment by state are mixed in October; starts rise, ABI slips
Contractors’ input costs were mixed in October, as increases in fuel, cement, glass, and paint costs offset tumbling metals and lumber prices, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on Tuesday.
Bid prices outpace input costs in September but several costs jump; new supply problems emerge
Contractors' input costs declined again on balance in September, while bid prices rose, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics
AGC Fights Back Against Criminalizing Important Business Practices in the Government Contracting Process
AGC of America, with support from AGC of New York State, filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court on September 6 to protect the legal and recommended practice of pre-bid interactions between contractors and public owners
Dodge Momentum Index, ISM, Beige Book send mixed signals about construction activity and outlook
?The Dodge Momentum Index slipped 1% in August from a downwardly revised July reading but jumped 17% year-over-year, Dodge Construction Network reported on Thursday.
Worker openings widen, AGC-Autodesk survey finds; employment increases in August
The search for workers has intensified from a year ago, according to results from the 2022 AGC of America- Autodesk Workforce Survey
Some input costs fall in July, while bid prices climb; employment climbs but so do job openings
ontractors’ input costs declined on balance in July, while bid prices accelerated, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on Thursday.
Construction spending dips in May; two-thirds of metros add jobs; aggregate, cement prices climb
Construction spending (not adjusted for inflation) totaled $1.78 trillion in May at a seasonally adjusted annual rate
Forty-Three States & D.C. Add Construction Jobs During the Past Year, But Only 22 States Added Construction Jobs Between April & May Amid Labor and Supply Shortages
Texas & New Mexico Have Strongest Gains Since May 2021, While Kentucky & Hawaii Have Worst Declines; Texas & Minnesota Top Lists of One-Month Increases, New York & North Dakota Lose Most Last Month
Contractors’ Bid Prices Finally Match Runup In Materials Prices, But Continuing Cost Increases Will Maintain Pressure On Profit Margins
Contractors’ bid prices for constructing new nonresidential buildings finally caught up with soaring costs for the materials and service they buy in May
Nonresidential Construction Spending Declines In April As Contractors Struggle To Find Workers Amid Record Job Openings, Low Unemployment
Construction Association Officials Say Workforce Shortages are Limiting Construction Activity, Urge Leaders to Boost Funding for Construction-Focused Education & Training Programs, Reform Immigration
ConstructorCast Episode: Environmental Highlights and Headlines
New Buy America Requirements Hit as Soon as May 14
On or after May 14, new contract awards for infrastructure projects with federal funds will include expanded domestic manufacturing requirements for steel, iron, manufactured products and construction materials under new White House guidance
AGC posts new construction impact model; wages rise but lag other sectors; price hikes continue
AGC posted an updated version of its Construction Impact Model, created for AGC by Brian Lewandowski, University of Colorado, Boulder, a leading regional economist.
Diesel price surge fuels construction inflation alert
They say what goes up, must come down. But construction material pricing has been testing that inevitability for over two years, with no discernable end in sight.
Understanding, Influencing and Complying with Federal Prevailing Wage Requirements
What are the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA)? How do they apply to federal and federally assisted construction projects, and what are the consequences of non-compliance?
Fuel, metals prices soar; L.A.-area port delays ease; job openings set January record, exceed hires
The war in Ukraine and Western countermeasures are stoking further price increases for numerous construction materials. Readers have passed along these steel pricing notices, among others, received and/or effective on Tuesday: “Nucor Tubular/Atlas Tube just announced an increase of $150/ton effective immediately.”
AGC of America Construction Legislative Week in Review
Changes in presidential administrations have a significant impact on the construction industry, creating a climate of uncertainty about construction regulation shifts and how they impact businesses.
Construction Employment Dips In January Despite Record Rise In Wages, Falling Unemployment As Quest For Workers Intensifies Among Industries
Contractors Association Prepares Updated Construction Inflation Alert as Tight Labor Market, Soaring Materials Costs, and Supply Chain Disruptions Threaten to Delay Projects and Undercut Further Job Gains
Supreme Court Freezes OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination-or Testing ETS
On January 13, the Supreme Court reinstated the nationwide stay on implementation and enforcement of the OSHA COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS).
Widespread Steep Increases In Materials Costs In November Outrun Prices For Construction Projects, Adding To Squeeze On Contractors’ Margins
Construction Officials Say Efforts to Address Supply Chain Challenges Have been Insufficient, Urge Public Officials to Do More to Alleviate Shipping Backups, Lower Tariffs and Address Growing Price Inflation
AGC-Backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Set to Become Law
On Monday, November 15, President Biden will sign the AGC-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
September construction employment lags February 2020 level in 35 states; ABI signals growth ahead
Seasonally adjusted construction employment in September trailed the February 2020 level in 35 states, exceeded it in 14 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in Connecticut, according to AGC’s analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on Friday.
Only 14 States And DC Added Construction Jobs Since Pandemic Began As Supply Problems, Lack Of Infrastructure Bill Undermine Recovery
Only 14 states and the District of Columbia have added construction jobs since just before the start of the pandemic in February 2020, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Construction Site Security and Theft Prevention
Contractors may have millions of dollars of equipment, tools and materials stored on their job sites.
PRICES FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS CONTINUE TO OUTSTRIP BID PRICES OVER 12 MONTHS, DESPITE DIP IN SEPTEMBER, AMID INCREASING SUPPLY-CHAIN PROBLEMS
The prices contractors pay for construction materials far outstripped the prices contractors charge in the 12 months ending in September, despite a recent decline in a few materials prices, while delivery problems intensified, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today.
Construction Spending Stalls Between July And August As Decrease In Nonresidential Projects Negates Ongoing Growth In Residential Work
Total construction spending was flat between July and August, as a decrease in nonresidential projects offset continuing gains in residential construction, according to a new analysis of federal construction spending data the Associated General Contractors of America released today.
Senate Moves Forward on $1.2T Bipartisan Infrastructure Package
On July 28, the Senate agreed, 67-32, to begin debate on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. Ahead of the vote, the bipartisan group of senators announced it had resolved all major issues on the package.
Constructor Cast
In this episode, leading women – Lori Dunn-Guion of Swinerton, Maura Hesdon of Shoemaker Construction Co., and Lauline Mitchell of BBI Construction and current NAWIC National VP – share their stories and insights on how to recruit, train and empower women in construction.
AGC Submits Comments on EPA's Draft Construction General Permit (CGP) for Stormwater Runoff
AGC recently submitted extensive comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft 2022 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit(link is external) and supporting materials(link is external), based on member input.
AGC of America Legislative Updates
On July 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act, a $715 billion federal investment in America’s roads, bridges, transit, passenger rail, and drinking and wastewater infrastructure.
Bipartisan Deal on Infrastructure Framework Struck; Deal Details & Path to Enactment Remain Unclear
On June 23, a bipartisan group of senators announced an agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure framework with the White House.
Input costs rise at record rate in May; more increases, some declines reported in June; delays grow
The gulf between contractors’ costs and pricing widened again in May. The producer price index (PPI) for nonresidential building construction—a measure of the price that contractors say they would charge to build a fixed set of buildings—increased 0.5% from April and 2.8% year-over-year (y/y) since May 2020, while the PPI for material and service inputs to construction industries jumped 4.3% and 24.3%, respectively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Tuesday.
Three bills addressing antiquated water infrastructure approved by Congressional subcommittee
The Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act (AQUA), PFAS Action Act, and the Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Programs Act concerning water infrastructure and PFAS contamination have been approved by the Environment & Climate Change subcommittee.
Construction Employment Slips By 20,000 In May As Supply-Chain Problems And Record Materials Cost Increases Plague Nonresidential Contractors
Construction employment declined for the third time in the past four months in May as nonresidential contractors coped with lengthening and unpredictable delivery times that limited their ability to start or complete projects, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today.
Year-to-date construction spending diverges; Beige Book cites shortages, delivery delays, price hikes
Construction spending in April increased 0.2% from an upwardly revised March rate and 9.8% from April 2020 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.52 trillion, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday.
Red Light, Green Light
Anyone else feel like we’re living the classic schoolyard game Red Light, Green Light? If you’re unfamiliar with this recess favorite, here’s how it goes: One classmate is chosen to be “it” and stands on the other side of the yard, facing away from the rest. The other players line up, waiting for the leader to call “green light” which signifies they can move forward until “red light” is called, when everyone freezes and all-forward momentum stops.
Construction employment stalls in April; numerous materials costs rise again; inventories shrink
Residential construction employment, comprising residential building and residential specialty trade contractors, edged up by 3,000 in April, putting the total 46,000 (1.6%) higher than in February 2020. Nonresidential construction employment—building, specialty trades, and heavy and civil engineering construction—dipped by 3,000 in April and was 242,000 (-5.2%) below the February 2020 level.
2020- What We Learned
During a recent meeting of the AGC Business Development Forum, members discussed the various hurdles from this past year. As the conversation shifted from the obstacles to important lessons, it became apparent that the topic my fellow BD Forum members were sharing would be beneficial to the entire AGC community.
Construction Safety Week 2021 – Committed to Holistic Safety
In the construction industry, safety is a value and belief shared by all. Since 2014, national and global construction firms have joined forces during an annual industry-wide initiative designed to celebrate and promote a continued commitment to safety. Construction Safety Week is a fully integrated annual campaign with a growing number of members and sponsors.
Rising Materials Prices And Supply Chain Disruptions Are Hurting Many Construction Firms Already Struggling To Cope With Pandemic Impacts
Another round of steep price increases and supply-chain disruptions are wreaking hardships on contractors, driving up construction costs and slowing projects, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today.
Construction Outlook Diverges in 2021
If the outlook for construction were presented as a Sesame Street sketch, it might be “sponsored by the letter K.” That’s because the residential branch of construction looks to be headed on a steady upward course
Analysis of Latest U.S. OSHA COVID-19 Safety and Health Guidance
COVID Relief Bill Would Provide Limited Direct Funding for Construction
COVID Relief Bill Would Provide Limited Direct Funding for Construction
The COVID-relief bill(link is external) moving through Congress does not include a federal paid leave mandate. However, it does include an extension of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) refundable tax credits from March 31, 2021 through September 30, 2021 for those employers that follow those expired mandates.
Construction Sector Adds 51,000 Jobs In December, But Gains Are Likely Temporary As New Industry Survey Finds Widespread Pessimism For 2021
Construction employment increased by 51,000 jobs in December, with gains for nonresidential as well as residential contractors, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today.
More Contractors Report Canceled Projects Than Starts, Survey Finds; Construction Employment Declined In Most Metros In Latest 12 Months
Construction firms are experiencing widespread project deferrals and cancellations, along with disruptions to ongoing work and few new project awards, as the economic damage from the pandemic drags down industry employment in metro areas across the nation, according to a new survey and an analysis of new government data that the Associated General Contractors of America released today.