A Closer Look at the Skilled Labor Shortage

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The whys, tactics and what comes next By Bud LaRosa The construction industry is enjoying an enormous economic recovery. Many urban centers are dotted with cranes. There are several private and public projects on the drawing board and, last year, Congress passed a $1.1-trillion budget with $1.6 billion going toward the General Services Administration’s construction account. This 300 percent increase includes a doubling of the Department of Veterans Affairs construction budget to $1.2 billion. With projections for growth in 2017 forecasting the recovery to continue, one of the greatest threats that could derail the recovery is the lack of skilled … Read more

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Construction Firms Add 19,000 Jobs in November, Drop in Infrastructure Spending Slows Growth

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Construction employers added 19,000 jobs in November, reaching the highest employment level since November 2008, but a drop in public sector investments in construction projects held down employment among heavy and civil engineering firms, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that recent construction spending numbers show a decline in most categories of infrastructure investment. “This report shows the construction industry has the capacity to handle additional infrastructure work even as private nonresidential projects, apartments and homebuilding continue to go up,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The industry would be adding … Read more

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Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 33 States Year-Over-Year, ABC Says

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Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 33 States Year-Over-Year, ABC Says WASHINGTON, D.C. – October not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates were down in 33 states and the nation on a year-over-year basis, according to a recent release by Associated Builders and Contractors. The national NSA construction unemployment rate of 5.7 percent was down 0.5 percent from a year ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This was the lowest national October construction unemployment rate since 2006, when it was 4.5 percent. BLS data also reported that the industry employed 175,000 more people than in October 2015. “October … Read more

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East End Crossing Receives Envision Platinum Sustainability Award

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INDIANAPOLIS, In. – The Ohio River Bridges East End Crossing—which will connect the east end of Louisville, Kentucky, with Southern Indiana—recently earned an Envision Platinum Award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure for the project’s exceptional achievements in sustainable infrastructure design, construction and operations. The ORB EEC represents many Envision Award firsts, including the first project involving a highway, first river bridge, first bi-state project and first project with a roadway tunnel to receive an Envision Award. In addition, the $763-million public private partnership project—Indiana’s first for construction—is the largest P3 project in North America to be third-party certified by … Read more

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Brasfield & Gorrie Completes 1201 Demonbreun, Relocates Nashville Office to New Tower

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Brasfield & Gorrie recently opened the company’s relocated Nashville office in 1201 Demonbreun, a new office tower the firm recently constructed for Eakin Partners on the corner of 12th Avenue S. and Demonbreun Street in Nashville, Tennessee’s bustling Gulch neighborhood. With custom features and touches that create an industrial feel, Brasfield & Gorrie’s new 20,000-square-foot office features a partial-open concept with minimal private offices, shipping containers converted into meeting spaces, a breakroom and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Gulch and downtown Nashville. The move to 1201 Demonbreun follows the firm’s recent completion of the 15-story, 285,000-square-foot … Read more

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