Coronavirus-caused Slowdown Contrasts with January Figures Showing a Majority of Metro Areas Added Construction Jobs; Officials Note New Infrastructure Funding and Paid Family Leave Fixes are Needed

On March 18, AGC, along with other coalition partners, urged Congress to support compensation for federal contractors during the COVID-19 outbreak. Legislative language was included in the letter to authorize contract equitable adjustments in cases where federal facility access limitations or denials bar contractors from performing their duties as required.

On March 18, AGC joined a host of other business groups in calling on Congress to enact a number of tax-related measures to safeguard companies, regardless of size, during the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes policies such as immediately providing accessible, unsecured credit to businesses, suspend the filing of business returns and the payment of all business taxes, and amending the Tax Code to, among other items, restore the ability of businesses to carryback any net operating losses against previous year tax payments. AGC believes these measures will help to minimize the number of businesses closed and workers unemployed during this time and ensure that all businesses have the resources necessary to ride out the pandemic.

Construction Firms Are Already Taking Steps to Protect Employees, Most of Whom Already Wear Protective Equipment, While Halting Work Will Undermine Efforts to Add Hospital Capacity

Texas and Utah Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, While Louisiana and West Virginia Lag; New York and New Hampshire Have Largest Monthly Gains, Washington Has Biggest Decreases

The Rochester metro area was the nation’s third fastest growing construction job market during the past 12 months, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. As local construction firms expand their payrolls, the national association and its local chapter, however, are taking steps to prepare the next generation of construction workers amid significant construction worker shortages.

Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas and Kansas City Have Largest Gains; New York City and Fairbanks, Alaska Lag the Most as Labor Shortages Likely Kept Firms in Many Areas from Adding Even More Workers

Homebuilding Strengthens but Infrastructure and Other Nonresidential Spending Fades in Recent Months, Reversing Pattern in Early 2019; Industry Survey Shows Strong 2020 Demand for Projects and Workers

Texas and Maine Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, Ohio and Wyoming Have Largest Annual Losses; Texas and Iowa Have Largest Monthly Gains While Nevada and West Virginia Have Largest Monthly Declines

On Jan. 15, the United States and China signed a modest ‘phase one’ trade agreement, signaling a major first step towards defusing tension in the trade war between the two nations. Under this initial agreement, the Trump administration will reduce the existing tariff rate on $120 billion worth of import goods from China, in addition to upholding its commitment to not impose further tariffs on Chinese goods. Although the agreement rolled back some of the import duties imposed on China, steep tariffs on $250 billion of goods remain. AGC applauds this initial agreement and will continue to advocate for a further reduction of tariffs to keep construction material cost low and maintain market stability.