AGC Reports on Construction Hiring Despite Drop in Public Spending

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Construction employers added 11,000 jobs in October as employment in the sector is at the highest level since December 2008 despite declines in public sector investments in construction projects, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that average hourly earnings for construction workers increased by 3.2 percent compared to 12 months ago as firms continue to expand amid shortages of available qualified workers. “There is a two-part story in construction right now as private-sector demand continues to boost employment while declining public-sector demand is contributing to year-over-year declines in heavy and civil engineering … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Stumbles in September

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NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Dodge Momentum Index fell 4.3 percent in September to 129.0 from its revised August reading of 134.8 (2000=100). 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. The decline in September was the result of a 5.3 percent drop in institutional planning and a 3.6 percent decrease in commercial planning, retreating from the strong performance in August which benefited from an influx of large projects ($100 million+) into planning. September’s decline … Read more

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Contractor Confidence Dips in First Half of 2016

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The average contractor is less confident regarding business prospects for the next six months, but the nonresidential construction recovery is anticipated to remain in place, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors Construction Confidence Index released recently. The diffusion index measures forward-looking construction industry expectations in sales, profit margins and staffing levels, with readings above 50 indicating growth. According to the most recent survey, during the first half of 2016: Sales expectations fell from 67.0 to 64.1 Profit margin expectations fell from 62.8 to 61.1 Staffing level intentions rose from 63.9 to 64.9 Although two indices fell, … Read more

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Skanska USA Building, Smartvid.io Forge Collaboration to Implement Machine Learning

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Smartvid.io, a cloud-based platform for analyzing photos and videos from industrial environments, has collaborated with construction management firm Skanska USA Building. The business announcement, made at the Commercial UAV Expo, will also be discussed at the joint Skanska USA Building and Smartvid.io presentation, New Age “Reality Capture:” Leveraging Machine Learning and BIM to Organize Field Data. The business relationship is made possible by the Skanska Innovation Grant Program, which has been designed to foster applications of new technology to unlock value for Skanska and its clients. The pilot program will support the use of the Smartvid.io … Read more

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Pepper Construction Selects Asta Powerproject

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CHICAGO, Ill. – Pepper Construction Group has selected Asta Powerproject for its project scheduling system. The company, with nearly 1,000 employees and clients in the commercial and private sectors, has long used technology to drive efficiency and, ultimately, a better finished product. More than 100,000 schedulers worldwide rely on Asta Powerproject every day to create and update precise project schedules, collaborate across the enterprise, manage resources and costs and report progress to owners and clients. Catalyst, the Chicago, Illinois-area reseller for Asta Powerproject, completed the sale and will provide training. For more info on Asta Powerproject, visit: http://astapowerproject.com.

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