The construction industry added 21,000 jobs in January, as a second consecutive month of unseasonably mild winter weather helped the industry raise employment to a two-year high, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released today by AGC. Association officials cautioned that the gains remain fragile amid declining public sector investments in construction
Construction employment increased in 148 out of 337 metropolitan areas between December 2010 and December 2011, decreased in 128 and stayed level in 61, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by AGC. The construction employment increases were likely fueled by a 4.3 percent increase in total construction spending between December
AGC’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement today in reaction to newly-proposed surface transportation legislation released by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica: “Chairman Mica has done tremendous work pulling together legislation that provides the kind of comprehensive reforms needed to restore Americans’ faith in the federal highway and
Construction employment rose in 28 states and the District of Columbia between December 2010 and December 2011, the largest number of states with year-over-year employment gains since November 2007, according to an analysis by AGC of America of Labor Department data. In contrast, 24 states plus D.C. lost jobs between November and December 2011, while
Significantly fewer construction firms are planning to make layoffs in 2012 than at any point in the past few years according to survey results released today by AGC and Computer Guidance Corporation. The survey, conducted as part of the 2012 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, shows many firms expect key private sector market segments
Five years after states first started shedding construction jobs, construction employment remains below peak levels in all fifty states and the District of Columbia according to a new analysis released today by AGC. Given the continued weakness in construction employment, AGC is launching a new effort to encourage Congress to pass years-late legislation to fund
The amount contractors pay for a range of key construction materials edged down 0.2 percent in December but climbed 5.3 percent from a year earlier, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by AGC. Meanwhile, the amount contractors charge to construct projects remained largely flat for the month and is up
The unemployment rate for construction workers in December was 16 percent, not seasonally adjusted, nearly double the rate for all workers. Yet the number of unemployed construction workers has fallen to the point that some companies may soon have trouble attracting the particular workers they need. How can this be?