Employers Add Thousands of Jobs in October; Unemployment at 8-Year Low

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Construction employers added 12,000 jobs in October and the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent, the lowest rate for October since 2006, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the construction employment gains, along with rising wages and weekly hours, are consistent with survey results showing more firms are having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to fill available positions. Construction employment totaled 6.95 million in October, the highest total since May 2009, with a 12-month gain of 231,000 jobs or 3.9 percent, Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, noted. … Read more

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Construction Industry to Experience More Balanced Growth in 2015

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dodge Data & Analytics released its 2015 Dodge Construction Outlook. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2015 will rise 9 percent to $612 billion, a larger gain than the 5 percent increase to $564 billion estimated for 2014. “The construction expansion should become more broad based in 2015, with support coming from more sectors than was often the case in recent years,” said Robert Murray, chief economist and vice president for Dodge Data & Analytics. “The economic environment going forward carries several positives that will help to further lift total construction starts. Financing for … Read more

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$29.8M William J. Lindsay Life Sciences Building Opens at Suffolk County Community College

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SELDEN, N.Y. — The new $29.8-million William J. Lindsay Life Sciences Building at Suffolk County Community College in New York recently opened. The educational and research facility is named in honor of Suffolk County legislator, former office and long-time supporter of the SCCC, who passed away in 2013. BBS Architects, Landscape Architects and Engineers BBS served as architect, interior designer and civil, mechanical and electrical engineer for the new building. J. Petrocelli Contracting served as general contractor. Other team members include science lab design consultant Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, site designer Greenman-Pedersen, structural engineer Ysrael A. Seinuk and plumbing engineer Bladykas … Read more

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McCarthy Sponsors ASC Design-Build Competition for Construction, Engineering Students

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McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. recently sponsored the Associated Schools of Construction 2014 Student Competition for the Great Lakes Region in the category of Design-Build. In this annual competition, teams of students from up to 12 regional universities are presented with a construction project/problem and must prepare a presentation to “win the job” and present it 24 hours later. McCarthy’s construction professionals developed the challenge based on a project and judged the student entries. The project for this year’s competition was a Midwestern urban mixed-use development. Teams were judged on various criteria, including prequalification submission, concept design from an RFP, cost … Read more

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Construction Firms Report Trouble Finding Qualified Workers to Meet Demand

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Most construction firms report having trouble finding qualified craft workers to fill key spots as the industry recovers from its years-long downturn, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called for new career and technical school programs, as well as other workforce measures to offset the labor shortages. “As the survey results make clear, many construction firms across the country are having a hard time filling available positions,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the AGC. “Considering how much the nation's educational focus has moved away from teaching students … Read more

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