Construction Employment Stalls, New Measures Threaten to Undermine Recovery of Sector

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Construction employment stagnated in January, ending eight months of recovery from the pandemic-related losses of early 2020, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data. Association officials added that new measures being considered in Congress, including the PRO Act and the National Apprenticeship Act, threaten to undermine the sector’s recovery by disrupting ongoing projects and hampering employers’ ability to train workers.   “The stagnation in construction employment in January may foreshadow further deterioration in the industry as projects that had started before the pandemic finish up and owners hold off on awarding new work,” … Read more

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Association Officials Call for Tariff Removal on Key Materials to Provide Immediate Relief for Hard-Hit Contractors

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Price increases—some to record-setting levels—and long delivery delays are causing hardships for construction firms that are also experiencing challenges in completing projects with crews limited by illness or new work site procedures resulting from the pandemic, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data. Association officials urged the Biden administration to review and rescind a range of trade tariffs in place, including for Canadian lumber, that are contributing to the price increases.   “The extreme price increases, as reflected in today’s producer price index report and other sources, are harming contractors on existing projects … Read more

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Construction Employment in December Trails Pre-Pandemic Levels in 34 States

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Construction employment in December remained below pre-pandemic levels in two-thirds of the states even though 37 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs from November to December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data. Association officials said the new data highlights how broadly the industry has been impacted by the pandemic and underscores the need for additional coronavirus recovery measures.   “While most states recorded construction employment gains in December, the pickup is likely to be temporary for many,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Participants in our association’s … Read more

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Sundt Wins AGC-Utah Diamond Safety Award

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For the second consecutive year, Sundt Construction, Inc. was awarded the Diamond Safety Award by the Associated General Contractors of Utah. The award, the highest safety award handed out annually by the AGC of Utah, evaluates comparable-sized contractors’ total man hours worked to the national average. Sundt earned the Diamond Safety Award because it had more than 5 million worked man-hours at an incident rate of 50% below the national level. The company garnered the same recognition last year. In September, Sundt completed the Utah Department of Transportation Interstate 80 westbound highway improvement project in Tooele County six months ahead … Read more

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Nonresidential Construction Spending Shrinks, Says AGC

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Construction spending was a tale of two industries again in November, as soaring single-family construction masked ongoing downturns in private and public nonresidential construction, according to an analysis of new federal construction spending data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the new figures underscore the need for new infrastructure investments and other measures to boost demand for nonresidential construction amid the pandemic. “Private nonresidential construction declined for the fifth-straight month in November, while public nonresidential spending slipped for the fifth time in the past six months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Unfortunately, our latest … Read more

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