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Construction employment expanded in 220 metro areas, declined in 73 and was stagnant in 46 between August 2013 and August 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by AGC of America.  Association officials added that construction spending climbed to $961 billion from $915.3 billion between August 2013 and August 2014, a 5 percent increase, according to federal data also released today.

Construction employers added 19,000 workers to payrolls in March, bringing industry employment to the highest level since June 2009, while the industry’s unemployment rate dropped to the lowest March level in seven years, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC. 

Let the ‘Voice and Choice’ of the Construction Industry Meet Your Environmental Training Needs With stormwater runoff rules, water and wetlands jurisdiction, and energy and climate change policies making national headlines daily, most construction firms have put environmental issues on their agenda.  If you are unsure of what it is you should be doing to identify, analyze, and manage your environmental risks – as well as the opportunities – then you’ll want to attend the 2014 ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Contractors Environmental Conference in Arlington, Va., on June 12-13, 2014.

The following is an update of AGC of America’s Training, Education and Development (TED) staff and who is responsible for various activities.

The ConsensusDocs Coalition has published a new Construction Management Agency standard agreement. The ConsensusDocs 831 Agreement Between Owner and Construction Manager (CM Does Not Provide General Conditions) provides an alternative to the recently released ConsensusDocs 830 Agreement, in which the CM provides General Conditions. The new agreement was created to provide greater clarity in defining costs, fees and profit to avoid potential claims. Current standard contracts vary greatly in defining fees, profit and overhead on general conditions items. This agreement was structured to minimize those disputes.

After consecutive months of contracting demand for design services, there was a modest uptick in the Architecture Billings Index (ABI). As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the January ABI score was 50.4, up from a mark of 48.5 in December. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, down a bit from the reading of 59.2 the previous month. Continue reading here. 

The latest reports on construction employment and spending were encouraging. Industry employment climbed by 15,000, seasonally adjusted, in February to the highest level since June 2009. Spending in January hit the highest seasonally adjusted annual rate since March 2009 and rose 9.3 percent over the past year, the fastest rate of growth since May 2006.

Construction employers added 15,000 workers to payrolls in February despite harsh winter working conditions, raising industry employment to the highest level since June 2009, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America.  However, association officials noted that as the industry adds jobs many firms report they are already having a hard time finding skilled workers.

After six months of steadily increasing demand for design services, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) paused in November. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 49.8, down from a mark of 51.6 in October. This score reflects a slight decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 57.8, down from the reading of 61.5 the previous month.

When it comes to capital improvement projects, healthcare providers across the board are looking to reduce costs and shorten construction schedules while still seeking high-quality design and building materials. While this may seem like a lofty aspiration, modular building systems are stepping in to make it a reality.