Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 26 States Year-Over-Year, ABC Says

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – December not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates were down in 26 states and the nation on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis released by Associated Builders and Contractors. The rates for two states, Iowa and Wisconsin, were unchanged from December 2015. The national NSA construction unemployment rate of 7.4 percent was down 0.1 percent from a year ago, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national NSA construction unemployment rate has fallen from the previous year’s reading every month since October 2010. Since these industry-specific rates are not seasonally adjusted, it is […]

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Construction Employment in January Reaches Highest Level Since 2008

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Construction employment increased by 36,000 jobs in January to the highest level since November 2008 as employers increased pay in an effort to address a chronic worker shortage, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. The association urged public officials to strengthen training and education programs to prepare more workers for careers in the high-paying construction field. “This report aligns with what contractors have been telling the association—that the construction industry is still eager to add workers,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The employment gains would be even larger if […]

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New Credentialing Portal Provides Construction Career Opportunities for Veterans

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ALACHUA, Fla. – Part of the Build Your Future military initiative, NCCER has recently released the first of its kind military credentialing portal. The Hard Hat Heroes Credentialing Portal allows veterans to receive NCCER credit for skills and training they already received while in the service. Each individual that meets the criteria can fill out an online application and submit documentation to be reviewed and potentially entered into the NCCER Registry System. This service is provided free of charge. Today, alignments are available for 10 Army MOS codes, and alignments for other military branches are in development. All alignments are […]

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Dodge Momentum Index Moves Higher in January

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NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 3.9 percent in January to 142.6 (2000=100) from its revised December reading of 137.3. 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. The move higher in January was due to a 12.1 percent increase in institutional planning outweighing a 1.0 percent decline in commercial planning intentions. Despite the decline in commercial planning in January, that portion of the momentum index remains near its eight-year high, […]

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A Chat with Tiffany Boston, Assistant Superintendent at Skanska

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Team building, applying military practices on the civilian jobsite By Chris Maday Schmidt With a background in construction, contract management and safety and risk management, Tiffany Boston, assistant superintendent at Skanska, first became interested in the construction industry while she attended West Point and took engineering classes. Boston shares a snapshot of her life as a superintendent in the Army in Bagram, Afghanistan, and her techniques for team building and fostering safety on the jobsite. (Q) Your background includes several military safety certificates—how have you applied your safety expertise in your position with Skanska? That training and experience gave me […]

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