Author: agcnews

Association Officials Urge Congress to Finish Work on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Boost Demand for Nonresidential Construction and Fund Career and Technical Education Programs to Add to Worker Supply The construction industry lost 3,000 jobs between July and August as ongoing declines in nonresidential segments offset a pickup among residential building and remodeling firms, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said their newly released survey shows many contractors are eager to hire but are encountering a lack of qualified applicants and supply-chain delays that are holding back nonresidential employment gains.…

Every State will See Benefits from this Historic Level of Investment This week the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a state-by-state survey of the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The complete survey can be found here. The White House also released state fact sheets outlining the needs and funding each state would receive. AGC also put together these summaries by market: Highway Contractors, Utility Contractors, Direct Federal Contractors, and Other Transportation Contractors. The IIJA already passed the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support on August 10 and is awaiting a vote before the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.) Joins AGC for Tour On August 26, AGC, working with Gilbane Construction and the Prince George County School System in Maryland, led Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.) on a tour of the Walker Hill Middle School construction project. The project, which is part of a $1.2 billion public private partnership to design, build, operate, and maintain six schools for Prince George County, provided AGC with an opportunity to talk to Rep. Brown about the potential benefits of this type of project delivery and federal legislation that would provide additional financial tools for such projects. AGC discussed legislation, introduced…

AGC Submits Regulatory Comments On August 27, AGC submitted regulatory comments in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to implement and enforce Executive Order 14026, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors,” signed by President Biden on April 27. This Executive Order and its enacting regulations will: The proposed rule generally followed the provisions of the previous rulemaking increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors and retains existing guidelines and definitions. Among its comments, AGC called on regulators to: 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.

Eighty-Nine Percent of Contractors Are Having a Hard Time Finding Craft Workers, While 88 Percent of Firms Are Experiencing Project Delays and 93 Percent Are Affected by Rising Materials Prices Construction firms are struggling to find enough qualified workers to hire even as they continue to be impacted by pandemic-induced project delays and supply chain disruptions, according to the results of a workforce survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk. The survey results underscore how the coronavirus pandemic has created constraints on the demand for work even as it limits the number of workers available to hire. “Market…

Contractors may have millions of dollars of equipment, tools and materials stored on their job sites. On this episode, John Wallen of HUB International discusses how to position your firm to best manage the risk of theft. That includes being aware of the coverage details of your insurance policies, taking a multi-layered approach to keeping sites secure and deterring theft, and considering “Internet of Things” (IoT)-based solutions. Also hear tips and best practices on filing a theft report and insurance claim. Guest:John Wallen CPCU, Vice President at HUB International, Wisconsin Construction Industry Practice Leaderwww.hubinternational.com Resources:Best Practices for Deterring Crime at…

Long Requested New Selection Methodology Also Finally Published The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has published the latest Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) for construction contractors, which is comprised of 400 federal contractors, federally assisted contractors and subcontractors. After years and multiple requests from AGC of America, OFCCP has also finally released the methodology for developing the list as well as frequently asked questions (FAQs) where answers to other matters related to the topic are included. The CSAL is a courtesy notification providing contractors at least 45-days advance notice to prepare for the compliance evaluation. OFCCP encourages contractors to take advantage of…

Construction Officials Note Spending Figures Foreshadow New Data the Association is Releasing Tomorrow Shoring the Ongoing Impacts of the Coronavirus on the Construction Workforce and Demand Total construction spending ticked up from June to July, as gains in residential and public construction offset a dip in private nonresidential projects, according to a new analysis of federal construction spending data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Officials noted, however, that challenges remain for the industry, particularly because of continuing problems with coronavirus flare-ups and supply-chain disruptions. “Although nonresidential construction is no longer in free fall, many categories face continuing…

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett and Waterbury, Conn. Top Lists of Metros with Year-over-Year Employment Gains; Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., Evansville, Ind.-Ky. Lose the Most Three-fourths of all metro areas added construction jobs between July 2020 and last month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials noted that while many metro areas have added jobs since last summer, construction employment still lags pre-pandemic levels in many areas as the industry faces a host of challenges. “The rapid spread of the delta variant of coronavirus, along with soaring materials costs and multiple supply-chain…

The 2021 CLC Leadership Development Conference (LDC) was held in Chicago, IL August 11-13. Co-hosted by AGC of America and the Chicagoland AGC. The event brought together over 250 emerging construction leaders from across the country in various construction sectors to network, learn and share. The conference featured important session topics like cybersecurity, team building & growing leadership, communication strategies, and CLC best practices roundtables. A highlight of the event was the dinner cruise on the Odyssey Lake Michigan. Conference attendees networked with industry peers with breathtaking Chicago views and perfect weather. Special thanks to Stacey Kelly and all the…