More Than 170 Top Construction Pros to Compete at ABC’s National Craft Championships

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors announced that more than 170 of the top construction apprentices and trainees in the country will compete in the 30th annual National Craft Championships, March 1-2 during ABC’s Workforce Week ‘17. Competitors from 27 states will contend for gold, silver and bronze medals and a safety award in 13 competitions representing 11 crafts. The two-day competition includes a written exam and a hands-on, practical test where competitors will demonstrate their high-level craftsmanship and safety best practices. The annual National Craft Championships was first held in Orlando, Florida in 1987. Apprentices and craft trainees … Read more

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Construction Input Prices Surge to Start 2017, ABC Says Energy Prices Remain on the Ascent

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Construction input prices collectively rose by 1 percent on a monthly basis and 3.8 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. This represents the fastest year-over-year rate of materials price inflation since the beginning of 2012. Nonresidential input prices rose 0.9 percent for the month and are up 4 percent year over year. The rise in input prices is largely attributable to natural gas prices, which expanded 23.6 percent for the month and are up 81.8 percent year over year. Crude petroleum prices … Read more

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Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 26 States Year-Over-Year, ABC Says

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – December not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates were down in 26 states and the nation on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis released by Associated Builders and Contractors. The rates for two states, Iowa and Wisconsin, were unchanged from December 2015. The national NSA construction unemployment rate of 7.4 percent was down 0.1 percent from a year ago, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national NSA construction unemployment rate has fallen from the previous year’s reading every month since October 2010. Since these industry-specific rates are not seasonally adjusted, it is … Read more

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Construction Job Growth Rebounds in 2017, ABC Says

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – National construction employment started 2017 on a high note, adding 36,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by the Associated Builders and Contractors. The 0.5 percent increase represents the best month for construction employment growth since March of 2016. The nonresidential construction sector added 14,900 net new jobs for the month, while its residential counterpart added 20,300 net new jobs (note that these don’t sum to the total due to rounding). The construction industry added 170,000 net new jobs on a yearly … Read more

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ABC Releases State Rankings on Policies Affecting Construction Industry

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors recently released its annual update to “Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard,” which reviews and grades state-specific policies and information significant to the success of the commercial and industrial construction industry. The scorecard highlights states that have created a free enterprise-based environment where merit shop contractors are well positioned to succeed and calls attention to states where strategic improvements need to be made. The Merit Shop Scorecard grades states on their policies on prevailing wage and project labor agreement mandates and Right to Work status, as well as their construction job growth rate, … Read more

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