Construction Employment Hits 50-Month High, Reports AGC

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Construction employment hit a 50-month high as employers added 11,000 jobs in October, the fifth consecutive month of sector job gains, and the industry unemployment rate fell to 9 percent, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the new employment figures indicate there was little nationwide short-term impact from the federal government shutdown and cautioned that skilled worker shortages are likely to grow as the industry continues to expand. “After some very dramatic declines and years of sluggish growth, the construction industry is slowly adding jobs,” said Ken Simonson, […]

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Third Quarter Nonresidential Fixed Investment in Structures Rises 12.3%

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Fixed investment in nonresidential structures and intellectual property grew 12.3 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, in the third quarter, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's Nov. 7 report on gross domestic product. However, the growth was tempered by a 3.3 percent decline in fixed investment in nonresidential equipment. “Today's GDP release represents the last piece of information regarding U.S. output and nonresidential fixed investment that is untouched by the federal government shutdown in October and the most recent debt ceiling debate,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Of course, September economic activity could have been impacted by […]

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Skanska Tops Out GRU Education Commons Building

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Skanska USA and Georgia Regents University recently celebrated a construction milestone at a “topping out” ceremony for the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Education Commons building. The “topping out” ceremony marks the safe and successful end of vertical construction of the building. Skanska erected the last steel beam into place during the event. In attendance were GRU President Ricardo Azziz and Susan Barcus, GRU senior vice president of advancement. The three-story, 172,000-square-foot building will house two 300-seat auditoriums, a 26,620-square-foot simulation laboratory, 13 learning communities, classrooms and Medical College of Georgia administrative offices. “This has been an exciting […]

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Mortenson Construction Publishes Second Children’s Book About Renewable Energy

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As the interest and demand for solar energy continues to increase at record levels, Minneapolis, Minn.-based Mortenson Construction announces the release of its new children's book entitled, “Catch the Sun,” designed to educate future generations about the importance of solar energy. “Catch the Sun” is the second book in the Mortenson “Discover Renewables” series. The first book in the series, “Catch the Wind,” which was launched in 2008, was developed to teach readers about wind energy and the importance of making environmentally responsible choices. The book reached thousands of students in classrooms across North America. Targeted to reading levels for […]

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Tilt-Up Concrete Association Announces Winners of 23rd Annual Achievement Awards

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MT. VERNON, Iowa — The Tilt-Up Concrete Association has announced the recipients of the 23rd Annual Tilt-Up Achievement Awards. The achievement awards program was established by TCA to honor projects that represent an increasing diversity of building types constructed with site-cast tilt-up concrete, as well as those that advance industry technology, apply innovative form and provide unique solutions to building programs. As in previous years, entry submissions were judged on aesthetic expression, schedule, size, originality, finishes and special conditions. Ultimately, the competition is designed to raise awareness not only of the effectiveness and maturity of the market, but also the […]

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