Author: Crystal Yates
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) announced that they will make an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for Fiscal Year 2026. All of these supplemental visas will be available only to those American businesses that are suffering or will suffer impending irreparable harm, i.e., those facing permanent and severe financial loss, as attested by the employer. These supplemental visas will be distributed in three allocations based on the petitioner’s start date of need through the end of the fiscal year. The H-2B program allows U.S. employers who meet specific regulatory requirements to…
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that, effective May 11, 2026, the Executive Order 13658federal contractor minimum wage rate will increase to $13.65 per hour. This adjustment follows the March 14, 2025, revocation of Executive Order 14026 (which set a $15 indexed rate) by President Trump, which reinstated the lower, indexed wage floor from EO 13658. The $13.65 rate applies to federal contracts and subcontracts entered into between Jan. 1, 2015, and Jan. 29, 2022, that were not renewed or extended on or after Jan. 30, 2022. The new rate does not apply to federal contracts and subcontracts entered into after…
According to a recent Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction support staff wages were expected to have increased by an average of 4.0% in 2025. The calculation is based on data gathered from over 239 companies in the 22nd edition of PAS’s Construction Support Staff Salary Survey. This is down from the actual increase of 4.4% for 2024. Looking forward, PAS thinks 2026 support staff increases will likely mimic 2025 activity, unless construction conditions change. Additionally, according to PAS’s 2025 Benefit Survey, more firms have improved their benefit programs than have reduced them. In 2025, the percentage…
Following years of litigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is scheduled to publish 2016–2020 demographic data for approximately 4,500 “objecting” contractors. The release is the result of a long-standing FOIA request by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR). While many contractors filed objections claiming the data was “confidential commercial information,” the courts ultimately ruled that high-level demographic totals do not reveal trade secrets or cause competitive harm. OFCCP is releasing the remaining data through its online FOIA Library, where it will be available as publicly searchable and downloadable files. Prime government contractors and first-tier contractors with 50 or…
On Feb. 17, AGC of America submitted comments (and coalition comments) in support of proposed reforms to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 401 process for States and Tribes to review and add conditions on federal water permits. The proposal advances several AGC recommendations to clarify the process and ensure it stays on track. Importantly, it focuses the review on the discharge—not the project as a whole. These conditions currently can impose a host of unrelated requirements that add complexity, specialized staff, and delay to projects. Section 401 review serves an important function to ensure discharges to federal waters, authorized…
Register for ConsensusDocs’ February 24 webinar to understand the latest twists in progressive design-build. Progressive design‑build (PDB) is gaining momentum across the construction industry as owners and project teams look for delivery methods that encourage early collaboration, cost transparency, and greater flexibility. From the federal government authorizing the use of PDB for military construction in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, to the soon-to-be released Progressive Design Build Agreement from ConsensusDocs, PDB is in the news. Contractors looking to better understand these developments should plan to attend ConsensusDocs’ upcoming webinar, Progressive Design-Build: Concerns, Opportunities, and Latest Twists, on February 24,…
A new Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) Settlements Report, shows that collective bargaining agreements again rose at historically high levels in 2025. Newly negotiated contracts averaged a 4.7% first-year total package increase, matching the rate seen in 2023 and 2024. While the post-pandemic acceleration in wage growth has leveled off, settlements are holding at the highest sustained levels in decades. The average dollar value of first-year increases reached $3.12 per hour, up from $2.95 in 2024, continuing the upward pressure on contractor labor costs. Importantly, most settlements are now in the middle-to-high ranges, signaling that the market has stabilized at…
AGC brought the industry together for a sold-out Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management Conference, along with three pre-conference meetings for in-house construction lawyers, risk managers, and environmental managers that kicked off the week with great peer-to-peer discussion. The week also included the annual Bill Ratz Memorial Golf Tournament, which benefits the AGC Education Foundation. The main conference delivered outstanding, contractor-focused content on today’s most pressing surety, insurance, and risk issues, and attorneys also had the opportunity to earn CLE credit through the program. Thank you to our speakers for sharing their expertise and to our sponsors for their generous…
The U.S. Department of Labor will hold a free virtual seminar about the recently relaunched Payroll Audit Independent Determination program (PAID), which provides employers the opportunity to self-identify and resolve potential minimum wage, overtime, and leave violations under federal labor laws. Originally launched in 2018, PAID has new enhancements, resources, and tools. The program has several of the same objectives as before, including resolving wage violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and now has expanded to include the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). PAID intends to assist employers seeking to correct violations efficiently and without any litigation costs, improve compliance, and…
Join AGC of America for a virtual townhall focused on alternative approaches to providing employee health benefits, with a spotlight on self-funded captive arrangements and the transition from fully insured to self-insured health plans. Register here. As medical costs continue to rise and plan designs become more complex, many contractors are evaluating self-funded models as a way to gain greater control over costs, plan design, and long-term sustainability. This session will feature an expert presentation from Alliant Insurance, providing an overview of how captive health arrangements work, how they differ from traditional fully insured plans, and what contractors should consider…