Construction Employment Rises in 45 States, D.C. from July 2017 to July 2018

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Forty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between July 2017 and July 2018, while 29 states and D.C. added construction jobs between June and July, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department. Association officials cautioned that continued job gains may depend on swiftly implementing new training and education legislation to equip students and workers to enter the industry. “Construction job gains over the past year were more widespread across the country than at any time since the beginning of 2016,” said chief economist Ken Simonson. “These results show that contractors … Read more

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Projections Reveal Nonresidential Construction Spending to Grow

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Spending on nonresidential buildings nationally increased only modestly last year, barely outpacing inflation in building costs. Halfway through the seventh year of continuous growth for the cyclical construction industry, 2018 might have looked to be the year that the industry would enter another recession. However, when polled at the beginning of this year, the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel—consisting of leading economic forecasters— instead saw acceleration in activity, projecting 4 percent growth in 2018 and a nearly equal 3.9 percent in 2019. “At the halfway point of the year, this panel is even more optimistic,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit … Read more

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Construction Adds 19,000 Jobs as Unemployment Plummets in July, Says ABC

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. construction industry added 19,000 net new jobs in July after adding 13,000 net new jobs in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The industry has added 308,000 net new jobs since the first of the year, a robust increase of 4.4 percent. The construction industry unemployment rate dove to 3.4 percent in July, recording its lowest level in the 18-year history of the series. The national unemployment rate for all industries inched down to 3.9 percent. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 13,200 net jobs … Read more

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Construction Employment Rises in 43 States, D.C. from June 2017 to June 2018

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Forty-three states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between June 2017 and June 2018, while 32 states and D.C. added construction jobs between May and June, according to a recent analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials cautioned that continued job gains may depend on improving the training and education pipeline for workers to enter the industry. “Construction is proving to be a reliable source of employment growth in nearly every state, and contractors are eager to hire even more workers,” said chief economist Ken Simonson. “But finding qualified workers … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Moves Higher in June

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NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Dodge Momentum Index grew .8 percent in June to 165.5 (2000=100) from the revised May reading of 164.2. The momentum index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. In June, the commercial component of the momentum index moved 1.1 percent higher, while the institutional component eked out a .3 percent gain. June’s advance marks the fifth straight monthly increase for the momentum index, which is now nearing a ten-year high, and … Read more

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