The Associated General Contractors of America will continue to provide fall protection safety training next year thanks to a federal safety grant the association is being awarded. The association will use the $120,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the fall protection safety training designed to prevent potentially fatal falls among construction workers, officials said.

The cost of key construction materials increased in August and year-to-year, resuming a trend that has forced contractors to pay more for materials even as competitive pressures restrain prices for finished projects, according to an analysis of federal figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.

AGC will be sponsoring the Big Build at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  The event is designed for children ages 5-13 and includes fun construction-related activities, including dry wall finishing, woodworking and nail driving, as well as the opportunity to meet and talk with plumbers, architects and landscape designers. The event is free and open to the public.  A $5 donation is suggested.

Construction employers added 1,000 jobs in August while the industry’s unemployment rate fell to 11.3 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by AGC.  The unemployment declines come as the construction industry continues to shrink, association officials noted, adding that over 214,000 workers have left the industry since August 2011.

Construction spending in July maintained consistent year-over-year growth despite a pullback from the June peak, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.  Association officials said they expect the disparity between private and public construction to persist unless Washington acts to fix infrastructure funding challenges and pass long-delayed measures.

Construction employment declined in 165 out of 337 metropolitan areas between July 2011 and July 2012, increased in 123 and was stagnant in 49, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that the new data comes out as many metro areas continue to struggle with constricting public sector budgets and uneven private sector growth.

AGC Charities is currently working with local Georgetown architect, Alex Zara of Zaras & Neudorfer Architects to draw up plans and complete permitting for renovations at the American Legion Post located in Capitol Hill. The construction work is expected to begin in September and lead contractor, Clark Construction Group is working with local subcontractors to get materials and labor donated to complete the charity project.

Construction employment declined in 31 states from July 2011 to July 2012 and in 28 states in the past month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that construction employment decreased in the majority of states as public construction funding continues to shrink, offsetting gains in homebuilding and nonresidential construction.

Operation Opening Doors, a nonprofit arm of the Associated General Contractors South Dakota Building Chapter has identified an Aberdeen man, Staff Sergeant Sean Johnson as the recipient of their eighth renovation project in South Dakota. Staff Sgt. Johnson, an ammunitions inspector with the Aberdeen-based 452nd Ordnance Company of the Army Reserve, served his country for 23 years including three deployments: Operation Desert Storm, Operation Joint Guard, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He most recently was bestowed the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Iraq when a mortar exploded near him.

The cost of key construction materials dropped for the third consecutive month in July, pushing down year-over-year prices for the first time since 2009, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.