Construction Employment Rises in August, Unemployment Rate near Historic Lows

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Construction employment increased by 14,000 jobs in August and by 177,000, or 2.4%, over the past 12 months, while the number of unemployed jobseekers with construction experience remained near historic lows, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that 80% of contractors reported they were having a hard time finding enough qualified hourly craft workers to hire according to the results of a survey the association recently released. “Construction employment gains would likely have been higher if firms could find even more people to hire,” said Ken Simonson, the … Read more

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Construction Employment Increases in 40 States, D.C. from July 2018 to July 2019

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Forty states added construction jobs between July 2018 and July 2019, while construction employment increased in 25 states from June to July, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials said the new jobs totals indicate there is a need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs, along with immigration reform. “Demand for projects, and the workers to build them, shows no sign of letting up in most states, and contractors continue to increase headcount when they can find qualified workers,” stated chief economist Ken Simonson. “But job … Read more

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SkillsUSA WorldSkills USA Team Heads to International Competition

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SkillsUSA, the organization that represents the United States in the WorldSkills Competition, is sending 22 career and technical education competitors to Kazan, Russia, to compete in 20 skill categories during the 45th biennial event Aug. 22-27. The WorldSkills Competition showcases trade skills such as construction and building technology, manufacturing and engineering and transportation and logistics. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Its selected team members, with an average age of 19, are masters in their craft. Their dedication to training and perfecting their skills will be on display … Read more

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Construction Employment Data Demonstrates Need for New Career, Technical Educational Programs

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Forty-two states added construction jobs between June 2018 and June 2019, while construction employment increased in 30 states from May to June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released recently. Association officials said the new construction employment data demonstrates the need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs, along with immigration reform. “Construction demand remains robust across most states, and contractors continue to add workers when they can find them,” stated chief economist Ken Simonson. “But contractors are struggling to find all the workers they need in many … Read more

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Construction Reality Show Seeks to Close Income Gap

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The Percy Jobs & Careers Center launched Master Craftsmen, an online reality show, featuring craftsmen who use their skills and specialized knowledge to build today’s modern infrastructure. The show is designed to reestablish the skilled trades as an opportunity to move up the income ladder and comes at a time when skills are responsible for the growing disparity in income. Those with skills earn a lot and those without, according to some estimates, earn in real dollars what an unskilled worker did in 1973. “Globalization and technology have fostered high levels of income inequality and the unskilled worker has suffered most,” … Read more

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