AGC Reports on Fiscal Cliff, Construction Employment

Construction employment declined by 20,000 jobs in November while the industry’s unemployment rate hit 12.2 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The construction employment figures likely reflect the fact many contractors have already cut staff and delayed hiring new employees because of the threat of the “fiscal cliff,” according to results of a survey of member firms the association also released today. “It is discouraging that construction employment is still struggling after more three years of expansion in the overall economy,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. … Read more

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OSHA Requests Recommendations to Update Construction Industry Standards

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is issuing a Request for Information to initiate the fourth phase of its Standards Improvement Project. The purpose of SIP-IV is to improve and streamline existing OSHA construction standards by removing or revising requirements that are confusing or outdated, or that duplicate, or are inconsistent with, other standards. The agency invites the public, including employers, employees and employee representatives to submit recommendations for revisions to existing construction standards and the rationale for these recommendations. SIP-IV will focus primarily on OSHA's construction standards. OSHA began the SIP rulemaking process in 1996 in response … Read more

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Women in Concrete Alliance Seeks Nominees for Woman of Distinction Award

DUBLIN, Ohio — The Women in Concrete Alliance — a networking organization for women in the concrete industry — has announced the call for entries for the third annual Woman of Distinction award. According to Kari Moosmann, co-founder of WICA, the award was created to celebrate women in the industry.   “We are excited to see a woman in the industry honored by her peers,” said Moosmann. “This award will reinforce that women are a valued resource in the concrete construction industry.” WICA co-founder Kimberly Kayler noted that the recipient of the award will signify the spirit of the Women … Read more

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AGC Releases New Construction Employment Data

Construction employment declined in 156 out of 337 metropolitan areas between October 2011 and October 2012, increased in 127 and was stagnant in 54, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. However, construction jobs in many parts of the country are at risk if Congress and the president allow the “fiscal cliff” to occur, according to a new report the association released today. “These figures show how spotty the construction recovery has been—even within a single state,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. The largest job losses were … Read more

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JLL Completes Development of Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

JUPITER, Fla.— Jones Lang LaSalle announced that development has been completed at the new Jupiter, Fla., state-of-the-art LEED Gold-certified research center for the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, the first U.S.-based institute of the Max Planck Society, a global scientific research organization based in Munich, Germany. Developed to attract world-class scientists and support sensitive advanced diagnostics equipment, the three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility includes 57,600 square feet of dedicated laboratory space and sits on six acres at Florida Atlantic University’s John D. MacArthur Campus. The project was primarily funded by the State of Florida and Palm Beach County, which received more … Read more

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