Number of metros with job gains hits three-year low; nonresidential starts rise sharplyEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Construction employment, not seasonally adjusted, increased from August 2015 to August 2016 in 220 (61%) of the 358 metro areas (including divisions of larger metros) for which BLS provides construction employment data, decreased in 76 (21%) and was stagnant in 62, according to an AGC release and map on Wednesday. (BLS combines mining and logging with construction in most metros.) The number of metros with increases was the smallest since April 2013 but the number with decreases was similar to other months; this could suggest contractors in some metros are unable to find the workers with requisite skills. The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area again added the most (11,400 combined jobs, 12%), followed by the Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, Calif. division (10,200 construction jobs, 11%) and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford (10,200 construction jobs, 17%) and the %).
Reshaping the Construction Industry
Hi there. The Chamberlin Man here.As you know, time, weather, pollution, corrosion and general use cause buildings and parking garages to show visible signs of their age and ultimately prompt owners and managers to seek restoration and repair services. Parking garages are in a class by themselves because of the wear and tear generated by the structural load and movement due to vehicular traffic and weather changes. The Chamberlin team are aces when it comes to parking garage remedies.You know what else we specialize in? Proactive maintenance that can save a boat load of money and ultimately increase the lifespan of a building or parking structure. Like anything else, the longer you let something go, the more it is liable to cost you.
October 03, 2016
Michael Burns and Brian Sanders of Lone Star College-North Harris talk about the Construction and Skilled Trades Technology Center which is currently being constructed on that campus.
September 30, 2016
One of the many things we strive to do for you at Construction Citizen is keep up with current trends in the industry. Admittedly, my friend Jim Kollaer does a better job of it than I do - whether it’s twisted towers, the role of drones in construction, or 3D printing. You can see all of Jim’s articles here.One of the particularly interesting trends emerging now is the fact that wood – yes, wood – is making more appearances as the material used for the skeletons of tall buildings in the United States and elsewhere.Smithsonian.com just published an article about a building in Minnesota called T3 that, when completed, will be the tallest wooden structure in the US. As the publication put it, the irony of its cutting edge nature is “that its cutting-edge nature rests on an old-school material: wood.”
September 29, 2016
Professors try their best to convince their architectural students that they “rule the world and the jobsite.” Many of them grow to believe that myth and some of them live that way. Few are well-versed on jobsite safety. Even if they are among the few who receive training, occasionally the most safety-conscious architect makes a simple mistake and pays for it with his or her life.According to reports, Bruno Travalja, architect and owner of Crowne Architectural Systems in New Jersey, was doing an inspection and some last minute measurements on the 42nd floor of a mid-rise tower in New York City when he fell to his death in a tragic accident.
September 28, 2016
MAREK CEO takes a look at how our broken immigration system is negatively affecting people right here in our own community.
September 27, 2016
Fewer states show job gains; AIA survey suggests worker shortages may be the reasonEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Seasonally adjusted construction employment rose in 36 states from August 2015 to August 2016, declined in 13 states and the District of Columbia, and was unchanged in Nebraska, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released on Tuesday showed. The number of states with increases was the smallest since April 2013, which may indicate either a slowing in construction activity or contractors having greater difficulty in finding acceptable workers. The highest percentage gains again occurred in Iowa (19%, 14,400 jobs) and Hawaii (12%, 4,300), followed by Colorado (11%, 16,800) and Idaho (9.2%, 3,500). Iowa and Massachusetts set new records. The top four states in number of jobs added were again California (29,300 jobs, 4.0%), Florida (22,000, 5.1%), Colorado and Iowa. Kansas lost the highest percentage and number of construction jobs (-7.7%, -4,700), followed in percentage decline by Montana (-7.2%, -1,900), North Dakota (-6.5%, -2,200) and Wyoming (-5.7%, -1,300). Alabama lost the second-largest number of construction jobs (-3,500, -4.3%), followed by North Dakota, Montana and Kentucky (-1,900, -2.5%). From July to August, seasonally adjusted construction employment increased in 24 states, shrank in 25 states and D.C., and was unchanged in Montana.
September 26, 2016
The 2016 ABC National Craft Championships (NCC) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was a two-day competition last March between over 200 craft profession trainees and students. This is the third in a series of posts featuring excerpts from conversations I had with some of the industry leaders I met at the event. While the competitors were participating in the hands-on portion of the challenge, I talked with a VP from the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation, a Project Manager for one of the craft competitions at the NCC, the Chair of ABC Illinois, and the ABC Vice President of EH&S and Workforce Development.Patrick Etheredge, Vice President of Adult Training and Workforce Development for the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation (MCEF) was a general contractor before coming to work for MCEF in 2015. I asked what sort of opportunities competing in the NCC competition could bring to the future craft professionals.
September 23, 2016
Kiley calls on industry leaders to remember the historical essence of the building industry and work with the integrity of those who play the “gentlemen’s game” of golf.
September 22, 2016
PPI for new buildings moderate; hiring plans diverge; income properties remain healthyEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Signs of a slowdown in construction activity are accumulating but not conclusive. Construction spending and employment have been flat or generally decreasing since March, but remain above year-ago levels. Producer price indexes (PPIs) for new building construction are rising more slowly than in the past several years, suggesting reduced pricing power by contractors. Contractors' hiring plans for next quarter vary by region from "a slight decline" to "moderately stronger."
September 21, 2016