President Obama over the weekend backed away from his own timeline on executive action for immigration policy, something that's been a top concern for construction and other industries that find it difficult to find a sufficient number of authorized workers.In the 3½-minute video below from NBC’s Meet the Press, Obama blamed the delay on the shifting politics of the issue brought on by the crisis along the Texas-Mexico border. That’s after NBC’s Chuck Todd pressed the president on whether he is dragging his feet because Democratic senators in Republican states fear a backlash at the polls in November:“‘The truth of the matter is that the politics did shift midsummer because of that problem,’ Obama said. ‘I want to spend some time, even as we're getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action, I also want to make sure that the public understands why we're doing this, why it's the right thing for the American people, why it's the right thing for the American economy.’”
Reshaping the Construction Industry
Construction spending hits 5-1/2 year high; more metros add jobs; Beige Book is sunnyEditor’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 spending in July totaled $981 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up 1.8% from the rate in June, up 8.2% from July 2013, and the highest level since December 2008, the Census Bureau reported last Tuesday. Census revised up the totals for June (by $14 billion) and May ($5 billion). Private residential spending increased 0.7% for the month and 8.0% over the latest 12 months; private nonresidential spending, 2.1% and 14%, respectively; and public construction spending, 3.0% and 2.1%.
September 08, 2014
The advice KBR Pipe Supervisor Chris Pullen offers to new craft professionals on the worksite is a testament to his own career.“Don’t stop. Don’t give up. Get the training you can. Try and learn from everyone around you.”Pullen applies his own advice during his regimented days, fitting in a work schedule, night classes and family time. His career goals in the construction industry push him to fill his agenda, even from the very start of his craft profession. The option to enter the construction industry seemed like the right decision to Pullen. He says he likes to build things, and the industry presented opportunities for growth. But at times, his path up the career ladder was a trying trip.
September 04, 2014
The cheaters in construction who all too often get away with avoiding payroll taxes and responsibility for their workers’ injuries are coming under even more scrutiny. We’ve pointed out the problem for years at Construction Citizen because it is a blight on this industry and a roadblock to improving it for generations to come.The practice by unscrupulous contractors runs counter to our mission of advancing a socially responsible, sustainable and value-added construction industry. Misclassification in construction – and other industries as well – leads to the degradation of the employer-employee relationship, turns workers into disposable commodities, cheats taxpayers like you and me out of billions of dollars, and makes it nearly impossible for ethical companies to compete.
September 03, 2014
The following article originally appeared in the September newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC for the purpose of providing the latest leading indicators and industry issues to those clients. Reprinted with permission.The Houston construction market is firing on all cylinders. In addition to the hot market segments such as office and light industrial, now k-12 and healthcare are gaining momentum as well. With the Affordable Care Act somewhat more “known”, the delayed construction of many medical facilities is now being planned or is underway. Under the direction of their leader Dr. Robbins at the Texas Medical Center, Houston is poised to become one of the leading research parks in the world.
September 02, 2014
Because of an absence of federal action on the problem of rampant worker misclassification in construction, we continue to track the progress of states across the nation that are trying to deal with what's been called “a cancer” in the industry. Lawmakers in Minnesota have gotten particularly aggressive, pushing a registry for subcontractors that can be easily checked and then revoking licenses of contractors who don't comply.Via Jonathan Barnes at the Engineering News-Record:“After some success with the new effort, the Minnesota legislature recently extended the state's Contractor Registration Pilot Program for another year, saving it from expiring on June 30 as it was set to do, and extending its life until at least June 30, 2015.
August 28, 2014
Jessica Minh Anh to transform the symbol of the fashion capital into a catwalkGlobal fashion sensation Jessica Minh Anh is set to amaze the world yet again with the first ever fashion phenomenon atop the world famous Eiffel Tower on October 31, 2014. With a vision that goes beyond imagination, the model and entrepreneur will transform the first floor of the famous architectural wonder into a 150 meter long outdoor catwalk. Covering the panoramic view of the fashion capital, the highly anticipated J Autumn Fashion Show will present the most innovative collections from five continents and mark Jessica’s eighth history making catwalk around the world.Visually pushing the envelope, Jessica Minh Anh has designed a multi-level catwalk, which will cover various angles of the symbolic tower and present Paris at its best. Over 150 haute couture and dynamic designs will be beautifully displayed and creatively captured using advanced filming techniques.
August 28, 2014
Occasionally we take a look out to the horizon to satisfy our curiosity about what might be headed our way and what might be a major disruptor to the construction business as we do it today. We have introduced you to BIM, robots on the job, driverless dump trucks, driverless cars, driverless concrete trucks, drones of all kinds and more recently 3D printing.
August 27, 2014
39 states add jobs in July; housing starts and permits, MHC, ABI show big gainsEditor’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.View July state employment tables by state and rank here. Please note the next Data DIGest will be sent the week of Sept.2.Seasonally adjusted construction employment increased in 39 states from July 2013 to July 2014 and decreased in 11 states and the District of Columbia, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released last Monday showed. The largest percentage gains were in Nevada (13%, 7,500 jobs), Delaware (13%, 2,600) and Florida (11%, 41,700). Florida again added the most jobs, followed by Texas (23,600, 3.8%) and California (22,600, 3.6%). The steepest 12-month percentage losses again occurred in New Jersey (-6.5%, -8,900), followed by West Virginia (-5.8%, -2,000), Mississippi (-5.6%, -2,900) and Arizona (-4.8%, -5,900). New Jersey also had the highest number of lost jobs, followed by Arizona, Mississippi and West Virginia.
August 25, 2014
The following article by Vince Bailey, an estimator at E&K of Phoenix, was originally published in Construction Dimensions, a monthly publication by the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry. Reprinted with permission.They’re back. Activity in the commercial construction industry has been on the upswing for a couple of years now for most of us, and the reemergence of an unwelcome element in our midst was inevitable. It is an unfortunate but predictable phenomenon that when prosperity flourishes, the parasites appear, and so we should not be taken by surprise when an attack comes from below. The only trouble is, whether surprised or not, there is often very little that can be done to retaliate when a low-baller comes out of nowhere and bombs an otherwise righteous bid opportunity, shattering the prospects of valid and qualified bidders. The best we can usually expect to do is shrug our broad shoulders and wait for the bottom-feeders to self-destruct. But in the meantime, there is no question that they drag the level of the field down to a lower tier. Still, a general awareness (or, the dirty low-down) on the nature and development of these subcontracting scoundrels can be useful.For the record, I’m not talking about qualified competitors who wind up on the low end of the number cluster on several successive bids.
August 23, 2014