Author: agcnews
On March 27, former Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-NY) appeared before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for his confirmation hearing to lead the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). During his testimony, Molinaro emphasized a commitment to enhancing transportation safety, modernizing infrastructure, and spur economic development. Molinaro highlighted the need to address transit reliability concerns and stressed the importance of innovation, technology, and streamlining the permitting process to make it happen. Throughout Molinaro’s public service, his focus on individuals with disabilities has been at the forefront. It was the same during his hearing, where he testified that he is…
Construction employment increased in 189, or 53 percent, of 360 metro areas between January 2024 and January 2025, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials said the employment figures, while still mostly positive, have slowed recently and likely reflect uncertainty about the impact of the Trump administration’s trade and labor policies. “Construction activity has slowed in the past year but remains positive in a majority of metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But the prospect of higher costs and shrinking export markets due to tariffs, along…
Read how AGC has halted the expansion of labor requirements and pushed back against vague environmental rules that exposed contractors to costly penalties and litigation. Our latest AGC Advocacy Wins handout highlights six major court and regulatory victories, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s commitment to revise the waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, the halt of Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) enforcement, the rescission of FHWA’s greenhouse gas performance measure rule, and a temporary block of the AGC-challenged provisions of DOL’s Davis-Bacon Act expansion rule. From compelling federal agencies to remove their requirement to use project labor agreements in…
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AGC recently joined the Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (PPWO) in a letter to the Trump administration urging them to abandon their defense of the Biden-era overtime final rule in court. The U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Texas and Northern District of Texas issued separate rulings in late 2024 invalidating the entirety of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final rule to “Define and Delimit the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” One additional lawsuit regarding the 2024 final rule is currently pending in another federal district court, and the DOJ has…
AGC recently joined the H-2B Workforce Coalition in a letter to the Trump administration urging their release of supplemental H-2B visas as the beginning of the second half cap season on April 1 approaches. Based on publicly available data and traditional processing times, it appears that sometime last week that the FY2025 H-2B second half cap was met. The demand far exceeds the 66,000 statutory cap which means that seasonal employers who have spring and summer dates of need are capped out absent cap relief. The H-2B visa program permits eligible employers to hire noncitizens to perform temporary nonagricultural labor…
In this episode, we are exploring the 2025 Construction Safety Week theme—All In Together—with insights from this year’s co-chairs. This theme underscores the industry’s shared commitment to safety, emphasizing that when every worker, company, and partner is fully engaged, job sites become safer for everyone. We’ll chat about the initiatives shaping this year’s campaign, strategies for fostering a culture of safety, and how companies can take an active role in promoting teamwork and accountability on the job. Be sure to listen in and start preparing for Construction Safety Week 2025—because safety is a collective effort, and we’re All In Together!…
In a legal win for the construction industry, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 4 that contractors who comply with their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permits are shielded from unjust enforcement actions. AGC of America played a key role in this case, submitting an amicus brief that was cited in the Court’s decision. This ruling reinforces long-standing industry efforts to ensure fair and practical environmental regulations. Learn more:
Construction employment increased in 34 states and the District of Columbia in January from a year earlier, while 23 states added construction jobs between December and January, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials noted that fewer states added jobs in January compared to prior months amid rising uncertainty about project funding and worries about proposed tariffs on construction costs. “While two-thirds of the states added construction jobs over the past year, gains were much less widespread recently,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Some of…
With funding for the federal government set to expire at midnight on Friday, March 14, Congress has been scrambling to pass a continuing resolution (CR), to avoid a government shutdown. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the continuing resolution, by a vote of 217-213, and it was sent over to the Senate. As you are probably aware, in the Senate the measure needs 60 votes to pass. The CR would fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, which is September 30. It would cut non-defense spending by $13 billion and increase defense spending by…