Construction Employment Doing Well in Most of the Country, States AGC

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Construction firms added jobs in 37 states and the District of Columbia between October 2013 and October 2014, while construction employment increased in 28 states and the District of Columbia between September and October, according to a recent analysis of U.S. Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted the sector’s recovery is erratic and remains vulnerable to factors like growing labor shortages, new regulatory burdens and stagnant public sector demand. “These year-over-year and one-month changes show that construction is doing well in most of the country,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Yet, […]

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Nonresidential Construction Index Slowly Rises

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RALEIGH, N.C. — FMI announced the release of the 2014 Fourth Quarter Nonresidential Construction Index report. The NRCI shows a slight increase from 62.5 in the third quarter to 62.8 in the fourth quarter of 2014. This is nearly 5.5 points ahead of fourth quarter 2013. An NRCI greater than 50 indicates improvement or expansion. There are many good reasons for optimism by NRCI survey respondents this quarter. The top-three are: businesses are starting to build again, backlogs are expanding and future business looks good with low inflation. A close fourth is a sense of financial security with improved balance […]

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Unionized Sheet Metal Industry Targets Veterans, Provides Direct Entry into Apprenticeship Program

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By Melissa Biernacinski During their time in the armed forces, vets spend their careers perfecting and upholding the highest standards of conduct — discipline, dedication, respect. Skills any employer would be thrilled to have in an employee. Yet, upon honorable discharge, many vets find themselves unemployed and, in some cases, not entirely sure how to transfer skills to the civilian workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate among Gulf War-era II (since Sept. 11, 2001) vets is 8.3 percent for males ages 18 to 44 and, for women ages 25 to 44 (18 to 24 numbers […]

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Slips for Second Consecutive Month

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Nonresidential construction spending slipped 1 percent in September but has still managed to expand 4.2 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to the Nov. 1 release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending for the month totaled $596.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis while the government slightly revised the August spending figure from $603.7 billion to $601.9 billion. “September’s drop in nonresidential construction spending is disappointing given the growing momentum in the broader economy and the generally positive signals being sent by industry-specific leading economic indicators,” said Associated Builders and Contractor Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Based on a combination […]

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Employers Add Thousands of Jobs in October; Unemployment at 8-Year Low

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Construction employers added 12,000 jobs in October and the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent, the lowest rate for October since 2006, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the construction employment gains, along with rising wages and weekly hours, are consistent with survey results showing more firms are having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to fill available positions. Construction employment totaled 6.95 million in October, the highest total since May 2009, with a 12-month gain of 231,000 jobs or 3.9 percent, Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, noted. […]

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