AGC Releases Latest Construction Employment Data

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The construction industry lost 7,000 jobs between February and March, following a similar decline of 6,000 the month before, but extended a pattern of modest year-over-year job increases, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that lack of long-term federal highway and transit funding threatens to hold down future job gains. “Both the small monthly change and the March-to-March gain of 55,000 jobs or 1 percent are consistent with the uneven, tentative recovery that contractors have been reporting nationwide,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. He … Read more

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International Construction and Utility Equipment 2013 Committee Named

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Mark Core, vice president marketing and lifecycle management for Vermeer Corporation, Pella, Iowa, has been named chair of the 2013 International Construction and Utility Equipment exposition, to be held October 1-3 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. Core leads the show’s managing committee, which represents a cross section of industry volunteer company executives to ensure the exposition meets the needs of all market segments. ICUEE is held biennially and is geared to the utility/construction industry, with a primary focus on the electric, phone/cable, sewer/water, gas, general construction, landscaping and public works sectors. ICUEE 2013 is expected to cover … Read more

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Year-Over-Year Gains in Private Construction Outweigh Public Sector Cuts

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Construction spending in February topped year-ago totals by 5.8 percent as a double-digit increase in private construction offset a small drop in public sector spending, according to a new analysis of federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. The gains occurred despite a 1.1 percent decrease in spending from January to February and a dip of 0.8 percent the month before, based on revised data. “It is heartening to see that nearly all private residential and nonresidential segments exceeded their February 2011 levels this February and that the decline in public construction has moderated from the steep … Read more

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OSHA Reaccredited as Authorized Continuing Education Provider

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Directorate of Training and Education has been reaccredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training to continue providing Continuing Education Units for work-related injury and illness prevention training. DTE, which includes the OSHA Training Institute, offers a wide selection of courses and programs to help workers and employers broaden knowledge of how to recognize, avoid and prevent safety and health hazards in workplaces. OSHA also offers training and educational materials to help businesses train workers and comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. “OSHA education programs train over … Read more

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Construction Employment Rises in February

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Construction employment rose in 30 states and the District of Columbia between February 2011 and February 2012, while 18 states lost construction jobs and two held steady—the best net positive showing for state construction employment since January 2007, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Twenty-nine states and D.C. added construction jobs between January and February, while 21 states had decreases for the month. “The number of states with year-over-year construction job gains keeps rising, which is very encouraging,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “But the industry is still struggling … Read more

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