Author: agcnews

On January 12, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sided with AGC in tentatively denying an environmental group’s effort to force contractors to dispose of discarded PVC as a hazardous waste. On June 3, AGC was the only construction organization to publicly oppose a proposed consent decree that would settle the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in D.C. federal court, saying EPA unreasonably delayed responding to CBD’s 2014 petition that asked the agency to regulate PVC under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Under the proposed “sue and settle” agreement, EPA promised to decide within nine months whether to move forward with…

Construction firms added 28,000 employees in December and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more than other sectors as the industry’s unemployment rate fell to a record low for the month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials said the data align with their newly released survey, which found the majority of contractors are optimistic about demand for most construction types, despite reporting difficulty filling positions. “There are more people working in construction today than ever before, and those figures are likely to continue to increase,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that the $15-an-hour minimum wage for federal contractors under Executive Order (EO) 14026 will increase to $16.20 for 2023 because of inflation. AGC filed comments on the DOL’s original proposed rule implementing the EO. Workers covered by the EO are: Executive Order 14026 applies to new contracts, and renewals and extensions of existing contracts, beginning Jan. 30, 2022. For more information, contact Claiborne Guy at claiborne.guy@agc.org or 703-837-5382 or Jordan Howard at Jordan.howard@agc.org or 703-837-5368.

On Dec. 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a final rule to newly define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). AGC has been working to bring clarity to the question of when a costly and time-consuming federal water permit is required on projects (vs. a state permit). The agencies released the rule as the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding on a case that will have bearing on the definition of WOTUS. Furthermore, the agencies also have previously stated that they plan a second round of changes in a Phase Two rulemaking. “It is…

New Industry Outlook Survey Shows Contractors Expect Infrastructure and Other Public-Sector Funding Will Help As Growth Slows for Many Types of Private Construction, but Labor Shortages and Supply Chain Issues Persist Construction contractors are less optimistic about many private-sector segments than they were a year ago, but their expectations for the public sector market have remained relatively bullish, according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage. The findings are detailed in High Hopes for Public Sector Funding Amid Workforce and Supply Chain Challenges: The 2023 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook. “Contractors are optimistic about the construction…

Total construction spending increased by 0.2 percent in November, dragged down by a lack of new infrastructure projects along with a continuing slide in homebuilding, according to an analysis the Associated General Contractors of America released today of federal spending data. Association officials urged leaders in Washington to speed the release of funds authorized by infrastructure laws passed in 2021 and 2022 and address regulatory delays associated with those projects. “A variety of private nonresidential categories, as well as multifamily projects, posted solid spending gains in November,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Many of these segments should continue…

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas and Provo-Orem, Utah Have Largest 12-Month Gains; While Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. Has Lost the Most Total Jobs and Has the Fastest Rate of Annual Decline Construction employment increased in 268 of 358 metro areas between November 2021 and November 2022, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials said the job gains likely would have been higher but that many contractors report that demand for new projects is outpacing the availability of workers in many parts of the country. Read more.

On this episode of ConstructorCast, two of the nation’s leading construction economists, Michael Guckes of ConstructConnect and AGC’s own Ken Simonson will discuss where the economy is headed, construction categories they think will do particularly well, and share their insights on top issues including supply chains and inventories, finding qualified workers, and materials costs. Listen Now! Guests: A.C. Michael Guckes Senior Economist ConstructConnect Michael.guckes@constructconnect.com Construction Economic ResourcesConstruction Economic News Kenneth D. Simonson Chief Economist Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) ken.simonson@agc.org Data Digest, a weekly one-page summary of economic news relevant to construction AGC’s Construction Inflation Alert More AGC construction economic information

On this episode of ConstructorCast, two of the nation’s leading construction economists, Michael Guckes of ConstructConnect and AGC’s own Ken Simonson will discuss where the economy is headed, construction categories they think will do particularly well, and share their insights on top issues including supply chains and inventories, finding qualified workers, and materials costs. Listen Now! Guests: A.C. Michael Guckes Senior Economist ConstructConnect Michael.guckes@constructconnect.com Construction Economic ResourcesConstruction Economic News Kenneth D. Simonson Chief Economist Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) ken.simonson@agc.org Data Digest, a weekly one-page summary of economic news relevant to construction AGC’s Construction Inflation Alert More AGC construction economic information

CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT INCREASES IN 38 STATES BETWEEN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, WHILE 42 STATES ADD JOBS SINCE NOVEMBER 2021Florida and Rhode Island Lead in Monthly Job Gains, While Texas and Colorado Have Largest Decreases; California and North Dakota Top List of Year-over-Year Gains, While South Carolina Has Largest Losses Construction employment climbed in 38 states from October to November and 42 states added construction jobs during the past 12 months, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said the new employment data shows demand remains strong for the industry as…