Construction Employment Declines by 1,000 Jobs in March, Unemployment Rate Hits 9.5%

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Construction declined by 1,000 in March but is still up by 282,000 compared to the prior year, as the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that declining demand for residential and public sector projects offset gains in other areas to contribute to the overall month job losses. “After 14 months of steady job gains, construction employment suffered in March,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Except for multifamily construction, home building remains weak and government officials just can’t seem to find a way … Read more

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Construction Starts Rise by 32.4% or Nearly One-Third

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CMD announced that March’s $25 billion of construction starts, excluding residential work, soared higher by 32.4 percent (or nearly one-third) versus February. It was a much greater increase than would have been expected based solely on seasonality. The long-term average February-to-March increase in CMD’s nonresidential building starts has been 6 percent. While the large month-to-month gain this year warrants cheers, it should be noted that February-to-March’s rise last year was also outsized. In fact, it was even bigger, at +40.3 percent. Furthermore, compared with the same standalone month of 2014, March of 2015 was -5.1 percent. Year-to-date starts in 2015 … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Dips in March

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NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Dodge Momentum Index dipped slightly in March, falling 2.1 percent to 122.3 (2000=100) from February’s 124.9, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The 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. Despite the March decline, the Momentum Index has trended higher over the last 12 months. For the first three months of this year, it has averaged 122.5, a 12 percent gain over the first three months of 2014. This rising … Read more

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Bechtel Among First Companies to Use Unmanned Aircraft System Technology in Construction

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HOUSTON, Texas — Bechtel has been granted permission for commercial use of unmanned aircraft system technology by the United States Federal Aviation Administration. The permission allows Bechtel to operate UAS technology, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, on projects in the United States to enhance construction processes within the virtual project delivery approach. “The use of UASs is crucial to continued innovation in engineering and construction,” said Mike Lewis, Bechtel’s manager of construction. “We teamed with Skycatch to explore innovative ways of integrating drones into our execution systems, particularly on the megaprojects Bechtel is building around the world. … Read more

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Western Construction Group Repairs, Waterproofs Aging Parking Garage

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ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Open park space within urban environments is vital to the development and general well-being of the surrounding communities. As the population in these areas continues to grow and become more dense, the need for dedicated park space also becomes more imperative. Modern park designs require out-of-the-box thinking and a creative approach. Western Waterproofing Company, a member company of Western Construction Group, recently completed a mammoth project to restore and waterproof a 750,000-square-foot concrete parking garage (equivalent to 12 football fields) located underneath the newly designated, 20-acre Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Western served as … Read more

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