Contractors Share Perception of Resilient Building amid Peak Hurricane Season

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The Q3 2019 USG Corporation + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index recently released climbed to a record high score of 77, up from 74 in Q2 2019. Half of all contractors expect revenue increases over the next year, rising 14 points quarter-over-quarter. Also, notably higher is the expectation for profit margins to increase in the next year, which grew by 12 points between Q2 and Q3 2019. The majority (58%) of contractors report they are highly confident that the next 12 months will bring sufficient business opportunities, a six-point growth over Q2. This is the largest percentage in the last … Read more

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Construction Employment Grows in 252 out of 358 Metro Areas from August 2018 to August 2019, says AGC

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Construction employment grew in 252 out of 358 metro areas between August 2018 and August 2019, declined in 60 and was unchanged in 46, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that while firms are finding ways to add staff, a recent survey found 80% of contractors are having a hard time finding enough workers to hire. “Construction firms would likely be adding even more jobs if they could find more qualified workers to hire,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But tight labor market conditions … Read more

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Month-Long Celebration of Careers in Construction in Full Swing

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Spearheaded by NCCER and Build Your Future, the seventh annual Careers in Construction Month is in full swing this October. Forty states, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington D.C. have filed proclamation requests, making 2019 the highest participation ever for this nationwide observance. The celebration was launched to increase public awareness, inspire the next generation of construction craft professionals and make an impact on the perceptions of a career in construction. The construction industry offers job satisfaction, independence, high skills and many opportunities, yet is facing a critical shortage of workers. One identified barrier to entry for young people … Read more

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University of North Texas Dedicates Biomedical Engineering Addition

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The dedication of the University of North Texas Biomedical Engineering addition recently took place on the UNT Discovery Park campus. Sundt Construction served as general contractor, with TreanorHL as the architect for the expansion. The $11.6-million project included a 26,250-square-foot addition onto the existing main building at Discovery Park. The project provides much-needed space for the growing biomedical engineering program; the program formerly occupied a small amount of office space within Discovery Park. The new facility adds two large research labs, three teaching labs and three classrooms, one of which will be a tiered auditorium that seats 175 students. The … Read more

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Construction Employment Increases in 39 States, D.C. from August 2018 to August 2019

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Thirty-nine states added construction jobs between August 2018 and August 2019, while construction employment increased in 29 states from July to August, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials said that construction workforce shortages identified in a survey the association released last month may have kept more states from adding construction jobs this past month. “Even more states probably would have posted gains in construction employment if firms could find enough people to hire,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “They are finding most craft positions hard to fill, … Read more

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