ABC: Nonresidential Construction Adds 28,800 Jobs in November

The construction industry added 28,000 jobs on net in November, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has expanded by 58,000 jobs, an increase of 0.7%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 28,800 positions, with gains in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added 18,700 jobs, while nonresidential building and heavy and civil engineering added 5,100 and 5,000 jobs, respectively. The construction unemployment rate was 4.1% in November. Unemployment across all industries rose to 4.6% and is 0.4 percentage points higher than one year ago. … Read more

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ABC: Construction Job Openings Remain ‘Extraordinarily Low’ in October

The construction industry had 213,000 job openings on the last day of October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 18,000 in October and are down by 36,000 from the same time last year. “The number of open, unfilled construction jobs remained extraordinarily low in October,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Hires, on the other hand, fell sharply for the month. This … Read more

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Lab Releases First-Ever Ratings for Construction Helmets

The 2018 collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Miami, Florida served as a headgear wake-up call for Scott Greenhaus. A 40-plus-year veteran of the construction industry, he was working with his team to install a post-tensioning system when the bridge collapsed. It killed five motorists and one team member and left the job’s superintendent with a traumatic brain injury. “When we got to the site, we noticed their hard hats were all lying on the ground where the structure came to rest,” said Greenhaus, co-founder of the advocacy group Hats to Helmets. “So we looked into it and said, ‘Wow, … Read more

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ABC: Construction Materials Prices Up 0.2% in August, Driven By Iron, Steel

Construction input prices increased 0.2% in August compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.2% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.3% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 2.6% higher. Prices decreased in all three energy categories last month. Crude petroleum and natural gas prices were both down 2.8%, while unprocessed energy materials prices decreased 2.5% in August. “Construction materials prices rose modestly in August, although the increase would … Read more

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ABC: Construction Employment Falls for Third Straight Month in August

The construction industry lost 7,000 jobs in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has grown by 58,000 jobs, an increase of 0.7%. Nonresidential construction employment decreased by 1,200 positions on net, with losses in 2 of the 3 subcategories. Nonresidential building lost 3,300 jobs, while nonresidential specialty trade lost 200 positions. Heavy and civil engineering added 2,300 jobs for the month. The construction unemployment rate dropped to 3.2% in August. Unemployment across all industries increased from 4.2% in July to 4.3% … Read more

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