Construction Employment Increases in 40 States, D.C. from July 2018 to July 2019

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Forty states added construction jobs between July 2018 and July 2019, while construction employment increased in 25 states from June to July, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials said the new jobs totals indicate there is a need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs, along with immigration reform. “Demand for projects, and the workers to build them, shows no sign of letting up in most states, and contractors continue to increase headcount when they can find qualified workers,” stated chief economist Ken Simonson. “But job […]

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Construction Firms Continue to Boost Pay to Attract Limited Pool of Available, Qualified Workers

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Construction employment increased by 4,000 jobs in July and by 202,000, or 2.8%, over the past 12 months, while the number of unemployed jobseekers with construction experience rose, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that many firms likely would have added more employees last month if more were available. “Job gains in construction have slowed markedly in recent months but the industry is still increasing employment nearly twice as much as other employers,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The recent slowdown in hiring and construction spending […]

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Construction Input Prices Rebound in July, Says ABC

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Construction input prices expanded 0.8% in July but are down 0.6% year-over-year, according to a recently released Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.8% for the month but have declined 0.3% on a year-ago basis. Much of the year-over-year decline can be explained by plummeting energy prices, including crude petroleum (-20.3%), natural gas (-31%) and unprocessed energy materials (20.9%). The prices of softwood lumber (-19.5%) and iron and steel (-11.1%) are also down significantly since July 2018. “The decline in construction input prices over […]

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Construction Spending Deteriorates in June, Multifamily + Nonresidential Categories Increase First Half 2019

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Construction spending declined in June from May 2019 and June 2018 levels, but most categories other than single-family homebuilding ended the first half of the year ahead of the year-to-date totals for 2018, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new federal spending data. Association officials said that the monthly declines in construction spending may reflect the fact contractors are having a difficult time finding enough workers to keep pace with demand. “Although the initial estimates for spending in June show decreases from May in all major categories, the first half of 2019 as […]

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Construction Employment Data Demonstrates Need for New Career, Technical Educational Programs

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Forty-two states added construction jobs between June 2018 and June 2019, while construction employment increased in 30 states from May to June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released recently. Association officials said the new construction employment data demonstrates the need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs, along with immigration reform. “Construction demand remains robust across most states, and contractors continue to add workers when they can find them,” stated chief economist Ken Simonson. “But contractors are struggling to find all the workers they need in many […]

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