Construction Association Survey Finds Labor Shortages and Supply Chain Problems are Constraining Further Nonresidential Growth; Officials Urge Public Leaders to Reform Training and Immigration Policies

More than 700 conference attendees gathered at a recent American Bar Association (ABA) Fidelity and Surety Law annual meeting to share insights and information on the "Construction Document Toolkit: The Documents Behind the Decisions.” ConsensusDocs’ Executive Director Brian Perlberg and Adam Tuckman, a construction and surety law attorney at Watt Tieder LLP, gave an overview of ConsensusDocs and some of the key differences with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) A201. ConsensusDocs’ recently updated performance and payment bonds also were featured prominently at the plenary educational session.

AGC’s lawsuit against the federal vaccine mandate is fast-tracked, as a nationwide halt to the mandate’s implementation is limited by another court.

Construction firms added 16,000 jobs in August, according to an analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said their newly released survey, conducted with Autodesk, showed contractors are eager to hire more employees but are being stymied by a dearth of qualified workers.

Total construction spending decreased by 0.4 percent in July as spending on new houses and apartments tumbled, overshadowing a pickup in private nonresidential and public construction, according to an analysis the Associated General Contractors of America released today of federal spending data. Association officials said their newly released survey, conducted with Autodesk, showed labor shortages and supply chain problems are limiting their ability to complete projects, likely undermining total construction spending levels.

Construction employment increased in 250 or 70 percent of 358 metro areas between July 2021 and July 2022, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. But association officials cautioned that most construction firms report they are struggling to find enough qualified workers to hire, according to a survey the association and Autodesk will release Wednesday.

On April 8, the Department of Labor (DOL) / Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the first-ever national emphasis program (NEP) on heat-related hazards in the workplace would go into effect immediately. The NEP set a goal for the agency to double the number of workplace inspections related to heat. The NEP identifies the general duty clause, Section (5)(a)(1) of the OSH Act, as the mechanism to cite employers for heat-related hazards if all criteria to support such a citation are met. Those criteria are as follows:

The Biden administration just issued a proposed regulation mandating that every general contractor and subcontractor engage in negotiation or agree to project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more with limited exceptions.