Construction employment stalled in June as more former construction workers left the industry, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The lack of current job openings, along with the departure of experienced workers, suggests a potential skilled-labor shortage may be developing, construction association officials warned.
Construction spending in May reached the highest level since December 2009 as widespread gains in private nonresidential construction, single-family and multifamily homebuilding more than offset a continuing downturn in public construction, 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 is likely to persist, although enactment of a federal highway and transit bill will cushion the decline in public spending.
The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement today in reaction to Congressional passage of a 27-month highway and transit measure:
The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in response to the recently-announced deal on a 27-month federal surface transportation bill by the Congressional conference committee: “The members of the conference committee have demonstrated the kind of tenacity, perseverance and flexibility that is often required to craft significant pieces of legislation like this new highway and transit bill.
Administration officials significantly underestimated the cost to construction employers of proposed new hiring quotas for federal contractors according to a new analysis released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. According to the analysis, a proposed new hiring quota for the disabled would cost employers 30 times more than officials predict while a new hiring quota for veterans would cost employers 20 times more than originally estimated.
Construction employment declined in 164 out of 337 metropolitan areas between May 2011 and May 2012, increased in 126 and stayed stagnant in 47, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that construction employment continues to suffer even as Congress continues to debate the possible replacement for a highway and transit bill that expired over three years ago, and other infrastructure and economic measures languish.
More states lost construction jobs in May than at any point since June 2011 as 30 states experienced annual job losses and 27 states and D.C. lost jobs during the past month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data.
The amount contractors pay for a range of key construction materials edged down 0.3 percent in May and climbed by only 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Construction employment fell in May by 28,000, the largest decline in two years, and is now at the lowest level since last August, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by AGC.
AGC held a May 25 media event in Tallahassee, Fla., in coordination with member firm Vulcan Materials Co., to announce how the area lost another 300 construction jobs between April 2011 and April 2012, while employment levels throughout Florida dropped to their lowest levels since 1990.