Construction Spending in June Grows at Fastest Rate Since 2006, Worker Shortages May Derail Growth

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Construction spending in June recorded the highest year-over-year growth rate since 2006, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that those spending gains could be at risk unless all levels of government strengthen programs to develop the construction workforce. “Spending rose strongly in June from a year ago for all major construction categories—private nonresidential, residential and public,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Although the initial estimate for June showed minimal growth from May, totals for May and April were revised upward by large amounts.” Construction spending in June totaled […]

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Construction Input Prices Trend Lower in July

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Prices for inputs to construction industries declined 0.1 percent in July after increasing 0.2 percent in June, according to the Aug. 14 producer price index released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Year-over-year prices were down 3 percent in July and have been down on an annual basis for each of the past eight months. Prices of inputs to nonresidential construction industries declined 0.3 percent on a monthly basis and are down 3.9 percent on a yearly basis. “Key input prices fell or were flat in all but one category in July and it is important to note that further […]

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A Chat with Mike Hammer, Senior Superintendent at Clark Construction

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Safety, success and shanking golf balls By Chris Schmidt Mike Hammer, senior superintendent with Clark Construction, has 14 years of experience in the construction industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in government at Georgetown University, is OSHA trained and is a CCHEST safety trained supervisor. In his position, he has worked on diverse projects that range from an academic campus, to an insulin manufacturing facility, to a ballpark. Join Construction Superintendent as Hammer discusses his take on the future of the industry, steps to success in the field and what he”d be lost without on the jobsite. (Q) What steps […]

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NCCER's Revised Core Curriculum Now Available

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ALACHUA, Fla. — NCCER has released the fifth edition of its Core Curriculum: Introductory to Craft Skills along with revised versions of Scaffolding, Your Role in the Green Environment and Managing Electrical Hazards. NCCER's Core Curriculum is a prerequisite to all of its Level 1 curricula and covers topics such as safety, introductions to hand and power tools, employability skills and more. Trainees who complete the curriculum have the basic skills needed to continue training in any craft area he or she chooses. The revised Core Curriculum includes metric conversions and additional international features. Also, the Basic Rigging module is […]

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Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry Confidence Remains Steady in July

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation recently released the June 2015 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry. Designed to collect leadership data, the index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $903-billion equipment finance sector. July 2015 Survey Results:The overall MCI-EFI is 62.6, essentially the same as the June index of 63.0. When asked to assess business conditions over the next four months, 17.2 percent of executives responding said they believe business conditions will improve over the next four months, […]

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