On July 15, Deutsche Bank's CMBS Research team published a follow-up to their previous report "The Future Refinancing Crisis in Commercial Real Estate," originally published April 23, 2009.  The analysis explores the magnitude of potential refinancing problems faced by the commercial real estate debt markets over the coming decade.  Read the full report here.

AGC recently released the results of a survey that measured the impact of stimulus funds on construction companies' ability to expand payrolls.  The survey found that stimulus construction funds have had little impact to date on companies' ability to hire new employees, but have helped companies save existing jobs.On August 3, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr appeared on Fox Business to discuss the results of the stimulus survey.  Watch the video here.   Sandherr has also contacted 27 federal agency heads concerning the pace that Recovery Act dollars are flowing through the agencies and into contracts available for bid.Read AGC's press release here and the survey results here.  You can also view AGC's analysis and listen to the conference call during which the results were announced.  The survey results news has been widely covered by outlets such as Reuters, Commercial Building Products Magazine, Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post. More than one million construction workers lost their jobs over the last twelve months, according to employment numbers released August 7 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Currently, 18.2 percent of construction workers are unemployed, nearly double the 9.7 percent overall unemployment rate, or 9.4 percent seasonally adjusted.  Sandherr stressed that the economic stimulus has helped prevent greater job losses, but that it is apparent that the construction industry is suffering from a low demand for commercial facilities, dwindling orders for new office buildings, declining state and local revenue and the current economic conditions as a whole, including tight credit markets.Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to an analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released in late July by AGC.  The analysis, which ranks the 12-month construction employment change reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 352 metro areas, shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.  Read AGC's press release here and view the city-by-city data here.  Sandherr has noted that the job figures clearly point towards the need for continued investment in the construction industry. Various news outlets have picked up AGC's analysis, including the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Denver Business Journal.A recording of the July 23 Market Insights Series webinar, which offered the most up-to-date information on current and forecasted construction activity, is available here.  Presented by AGC of America, Reed Construction Data and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the webinar attracted more than 5,000 registrants and focused on the key factors affecting the recovery of the construction industry.  The free webcast was sponsored by GPDens.com and delivered by AGC's chief economist Ken Simonson, Jim Haughey of Reed Construction Data and Kermit Baker of AIA.For the most current construction industry economic analysis, subscribe to Ken Simonson's weekly newsletter, Data DIGest.  Visit www.agc.org/stimulus for the latest information on the policy changes, new rules and regulations associated with the stimulus, programs receiving funding, tax incentives and the impact of job creation as a direct result of stimulus project awards.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has announced the location of five additional prevailing wage conferences, following its inaugural conference, which drew more than 400 participants to Washington, D.C.  Each conference will be offered free of charge to employers.Two of the five conferences will be held in August 2009.  Chicago, Ill., will host the conference August 18-20, and Orlando, Fla., will host the conference August 25-27, 2009.  The remaining three conferences will be held in September in San Antonio, Texas, Long Beach, Calif., and Boston, Mass., respectively. Each two-and-a-half day seminar will address prevailing wage issues as they relate to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), and will cover such topics as:The Davis-Bacon Act and McNamara O'Hara Service Contract Act;The process of obtaining wage determinations and adding classifications;Compliance assistance and enforcement processes;The process of appealing wage rates, coverage, and compliance determinations; andContractor and agency requirements under Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.To register, participants should email all contact information along with their AGC affiliation to whdarra@dol.gov. Additional WHD information related to ARRA can be found on the WHD Web site.  Other resources, such as AGC's Davis-Bacon Manual on Labor Standards for Federal and Federally Assisted Construction, can be found on AGC's Labor and HR Topical Resources Web page.

ConsensusDOCS is pleased to provide a free audio conference download from one of its highly successful webinars entitled, "Why ConsensusDOCS is the New Choice for Owners."  You can download this free 90-minute audio conference by visiting http://www.ConsensusDOCS.org/news_archive.html.You can also access a free podcast regarding the NEW ConsensusDOCS 752 - Subcontract for Federal Government Construction Projects.  The 752 is the first and only standard contract to address the terms and conditions needed for subcontractors and contractors to comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations.  Please visit http://www.ConsensusDOCS.org/podcasts/news_podcasts.html to download this free 5-minute podcast.ConsensusDOCS are the only standard contract documents endorsed by 22 leading construction industry associations.  For more information on ConsensusDOCS, please visit www.agc.org/Contracts.

On June 26, 2009, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, announced that the current Form I-9 will continue to be valid for use beyond its expiration date of June 30, 2009.Although the current form has the expiration date printed in its upper, left-hand corner, USCIS is in the process of seeking approval for continued use of the form.   Until then, employers may continue to use the expired form in its current format.  After approval and once a new form has been created with a new expiration date, employers will have the option to use either form, as long as it displays the revision date of February 2, 2009, which is printed in the bottom, right-hand corner of the form.As of April 3, 2009, all U.S. employers must use the February-revised Form I-9 to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees and employees with expiring employment authorizations.  This mandate was originally scheduled for implementation on February 2, 2009, but was delayed in response to a request from the new Administration to allow time for further review.Additional information and a copy of the Form I-9 can be found on the USCIS website.

Many negotiators fail to realize that successful negotiating is a talent - a talent that can be improved by learning the right skills. Negotiating doesn't mean tricks and intimidation. The ability to successfully negotiate is a skill that can be learned. In this two-day course, participants will gain valuable working knowledge of negotiating and listening and how it will benefit their relationships, both personally and professionally.  Click here to learn more!

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) today published a Request for Proposals (RFP) to conduct research and create a course plan for a comprehensive Lean construction curriculum for the commercial construction community.Lean construction, an adaptation of lean manufacturing principles and practices from the beginning to end of the design and construction process, is a culture and a process focused on creating the greatest amount of value for a construction project through a reduction in waste of materials, time and effort. AGC seeks to address challenges the construction industry faces in the adoption of Lean construction processes, and provide a commonly accessible and sustained educational effort. For this project research of literature, interviews of industry stakeholders, a plan for a compressive curriculum, assessment of learning outcomes, and development of a credentialing plan and strategy for instructor training is requested of those submitting proposals.Proposals are due September 15, 2009 by 5:00 PM EST. The AGC Lean Construction Advisory Group, consisting of members and chapter staff, will evaluate all submissions and select a proposal to be awarded on October 5, 2009.Inquiries concerning the RFP should be directed via email including name, phone number and organization name to Amy Fields, Senior Director, Curriculum & Program Development at fieldsa@agc.org.

August 13, 2009, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM ETOn Thursday, August 13, 2009, from 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EDT, labor and employment law attorney Bert Brannen of Fisher & Phillips, LLP and construction-industry HR expert and consultant Doug Mure will take a tag-team approach to explaining the legal, practical and emotional aspects that HR professionals in the construction industry are faced with and how to avoid the pitfalls when forced to release employees.  For more information and to register, click here!

AGC is recognized as the Association of choice for over 13,000 specialty contractor firms.  The AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council (SCC) requests input from AGC's specialty contractor members on an important survey, available here, regarding how the Council can best serve and engage specialty contractors.  Responses will be instrumental in shaping the direction of the Council in the years to come.  The survey will close on Friday, August 14.  For more information about the AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council, visit www.agc.org/SCC.  Please contact Cassia Griffin at griffinc@agc.org with any questions.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), responsible for ensuring that contractors doing business with the federal government do not discriminate and take affirmative action, will soon begin conducting compliance reviews of construction contractors who receive funding and grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). According to OFCCP's Recovery Act Plan (the Plan), the majority of ARRA funding and grants will provide direct funding or federal assistance to construction projects and "consequently, OFCCP will place a special emphasis on the construction industry."  Beginning in July 2009, OFCCP will begin to review a minimum of 360 construction contractors and 90 supply and service contractors, including at least 10% of first-time federal contractors.  These reviews will be followed by quarterly compliance evaluations through September 30, 2010.   To help contractors maintain compliance with the agency's guidelines, OFCCP plans to host a series of compliance events to be held periodically through the September 30 date, including nine national events and six webinars specifically for federal construction contractors, new federal contractors and contracting officers.  Additionally, OFCCP plans to host 93 regional compliance events, 11 regional forums, and a national Prevailing Wage Conference, which will address prevailing wage issues as they relate to ARRA over two-and-a-half days.Additional OFCCP compliance resources for construction contractors include AGC's Davis-Bacon Manual on Labor Standards for Federal and Federally Assisted Construction and Affirmative Action Manual for Construction, which can be found on AGC's Labor and HR Topical Resources website.For more information, contact Denise Gold at (703) 837-5326 or goldd@agc.org.