Author: agcnews

Construction spending was unchanged from October to November as a continued downturn in multifamily and office building construction offset growing demand for single-family houses and data centers, according to an analysis of a new government report that the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials said that despite the stalled spending levels contractors remain optimistic about 2025, based on a survey the association will release next Wednesday. “Construction activity was closely balanced between segments that expanded or shrank in November,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But contractors appear to be optimistic about most categories heading into…

Construction employment increased in 234, or 65 percent, of 358 metro areas between November 2023 and November 2024, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials noted that firms continue to boost pay rates as many of them struggle to find enough qualified workers to hire. “Although nearly two-thirds of metro areas have added construction workers in the past year, contractors report struggling to fill many hourly craft positions,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “These difficulties will be even greater in 2025 if the industry cannot access targeted…

Construction employment increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia in November from a year earlier, while 23 states and D.C. added construction jobs between October and November, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said the industry needs a viable program of workforce authorizations to keep up with demand. “While job growth has been widespread over the past year, the more limited growth in the latest month may be a sign of the difficulty contractors face in finding qualified workers,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s…

AGC of America is launching a new, targeted digital advertising campaign in support of work authorization programs (such as the H-2B visa and temporary protected status programs) beginning next week. The association will be targeting small business owners who are frequent voters in the districts of members of Congress who are in a position to help on this issue and/or represent districts with extremely low unemployment levels. The ad campaign will include a mix of display ads as well as promotional videos. These ads will direct people to a special landing page we have created: WorkforceDoneRight.org. The ads are part…

The debate over government funding in Washington charges on as we approach December 20, 2024, when current funding expires. Earlier this week it appeared that Congress had coalesced around a deal to fund the government until mid-March through a continuing resolution (CR), with disaster aid, an extension of the farm bill, and a few policy riders all attached to the CR. The original CR contained a few wins for construction: Unfortunately, after conservative backlash and tweets from DOGE, the deal appears to be off. There are discussions about short-term funding deals to get through Christmas, a “clean” CR with no…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to expand a refuge in Georgia, jeopardizing a nearby mining project that is moving through the state permitting process. The project already has faced significant regulatory uncertainty from federal agencies, and the proposed refuge expansion appears to be another effort to stop the project. With national refuges in all 50 states, projects nationwide could face similar challenges in the future. AGC joined in with other industry groups to decry this precedent. In October, the FWS proposed to expand the boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to encompass the nearby mining project that the Service…

AGC is now accepting session proposals for the 2025 AGC Construction Safety & Health Conference, July 22 – 24, 2025, in Minneapolis, MN. This notice is a call for presentations for a limited number of speaking opportunities. We are looking for experienced presenters to deliver dynamic and engaging presentations related to safety and health. AGC wants to deliver content that will stimulate and provoke discussion. We invite you to share your knowledge and help us shape the summer 2025 experience. For more information on speaker expectations, important deadlines, and how to submit your proposal, please refer to our conference guidelines. Proposals are…

This week the U.S. Senate passed the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2025. These bills together will provide billions in funding for construction on our nation’s waterways and military bases. AGC has previously reported on developments with WRDA 2024. The bill will improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, and flood and storm protection. In addition, these projects will help ensure construction materials make it to the jobsite in a timely manner. Likewise, AGC has previously reported on developments with NDAA for FY 2025. The legislation…

The Corporate Transparency Act is a law passed in 2020 which requires “covered entities” (generally small businesses with less than 20 employees and $5 million in revenue), to file “beneficial ownership information” with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). A beneficial owner is someone who exercises “substantial control” over the entity, and the required information includes the names, addresses, and a copy of identifying documents (such as a drivers license or passport) of all the beneficial owners. The deadline to file this information was set by FinCEN for January 1, 2025 for entities that existed prior to…

Last month, AGC surveyed its members on contracts preference programs. Contracts preference programs are federal and federal-aid programs that were created with the intent to help socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. These programs include, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, 8(a) Business Development program, Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program, and HUBZone program. Some key highlights were: (1) Promotes diversity in construction, (2) Increases competitiveness for federal contractors, and (3) Access to resources and networking opportunities (1) Potential penalties for noncompliance, (2) Cumbersome certification and recertification process, and (3) Lack of transparency and guidance on program eligibility…