AGC

Construction employment declined in 25 states between May and June even as 39 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between June 2014 and June 2015, according to an analysis today of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the monthly construction employment declines come as Congress continues to search for ways to pay for new highway and transit investments

At AGC of America, we know how important maintaining professional credentials are to those who hold such designations. Therefore, AGC’s Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference will offer opportunities for HR, training and workforce development professionals to earn recertification credits from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). 

On June 4, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reissued its Multi-Sector General Permit (link is external) (MSGP) pursuant to the Clean Water Act (CWA) for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity, replacing the 2008 MSGP. The new MSGP is effective immediately and serves as a national model. EPA will hold a webinar (link is external) on July 8 to provide training on the new electronic reporting requirements in the 2015 MSGP.

On June 4, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released for public comment and peer review a draft of its highly anticipated assessment of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) on drinking water, Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources (Draft Assessment). EPA did find instances where hydraulic fracturing activities have the potential to impact drinking water resources, but it also found that such cases were relatively rare, and not “widespread” or “systemic.”

This week, the Congressional Budget Office issued a report (link is external) detailing public spending on transportation and water infrastructure from 1956 to 2014. The report showed that public spending on Transportation and Water Infrastructure has been fairly consistent as a share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at about 2.4 percent, which is below the 3.0 percent peak in 1959. It did recently rise to 2.7 percent of GDP in 2009 and 2010 because of the increase in infrastructure investment under ARRA, which temporarily boosted infrastructure spending by $55 billion.

This week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) passed their fiscal year 2016 funding bill. The bill includes funding for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies

AGC has celebrated Earth Day (officially April 22) all week long by releasing an article a day exploring how the construction industry contributes to building a green future.  You can help us get the word out by linking to these articles via social media during “Earth Week.”  AGC has explored green buildings, roads, infrastructure, and homes; this final article in the series brings all of these components together and looks at green communities

AGC is celebrating Earth Day (officially April 22) all week long by releasing an article a day exploring how the construction industry contributes to building a green future.  You can help us get the word out by linking to these articles via social media during “Earth Week.”  Today’s article (the fourth in AGC’s five-day series) features some of the available green programs in the multifamily and single family homes markets

Today is Earth Day, April 22, and AGC is celebrating all week long by releasing an article a day exploring how the construction industry contributes to building a green future.  You can help us get the word out by linking to these articles via social media during “Earth Week.”  Today’s article (the third in AGC’s five-day series) explores developments in green infrastructure

North America’s Building Trade Unions (the Building Trades) “will work with whoever will work with us,” said its president Sean McGarvey during a session at AGC of America’s Annual Convention on March 19 in San Juan, PR. “We’re not about political parties. We’re about [construction workers]…Both parties have changed, and we have no permanent friends and no permanent enemies. That’s our approach,” he said

AGC and its industry partners from the Waters Advocacy Coalition met with the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to discuss the federal water quality standards (WQS) regulation proposed by EPA and its interaction with the proposed change in the definition of “Waters of the United States.” Both proposed rules attempt very significant changes to large portions of the Clean Water Act, and AGC and its industry partners do not believe that the agencies are evaluating the true economic costs of either rule, nor are the costs of the changes in either rule being adequately taken into account by the other rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 6, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction employers added 39,000 jobs in January and 308,000 over the past year, reaching the highest employment total since February 2009, as the sector's unemployment rate fell to 9.8 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the job gains come as most construction firms report plans to expand headcount this year, but worry about growing shortages of qualified workers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 4, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction employment expanded in 257 metro areas, declined in 43 and was stagnant in 39 between December 2013 and December 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the construction industry should continue to expand in 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 2, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction spending rose in December to a six-year high of $982 billion as public construction for the year increased for the first time since 2009, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said President Obama's budget proposal and his suggested infrastructure funding program should help construction spending continue to grow by accelerating debate about the best way to fund repairs to the nation's aging roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 1, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, released the following statement in response to the release of the Infrastructure 2.0 Act by Maryland Congressman John Delaney

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Texas and North Dakota Have Largest 12-Month Gains, West Virginia and Arizona Have Biggest Annual Declines; New York and Montana Top Monthly Rankings, California and Vermont Shed Most Jobs in December

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction contractors will have an easier time learning how to comply with federal and state environmental guidelines thanks to a new partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the private sector. The partnership between the Associated General Contractors of America, EPA and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) will allow for a significant upgrade to the Construction Industry Compliance Assistance website, or CICA Center for short, association officials noted.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Firms in Virginia Lead Other States in Hiring Optimism; Most Firms Expect Growth this Year, But Are Coping With Worker Shortages, Rising Health Care Costs and New Regulatory Burdens, New Outlook Finds

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 20, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in response to today's announcement of new Build America Investment Initiatives By President Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 20, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fox Business News' Money with Melissa Francis erroneously reported that federal gas taxes can be used to finance the construction of museums and other non-transportation projects, officials with the Associated General Contractors noted in a letter sent to the show?s host today. Association officials added that the error is significant because it incorrectly leaves viewers with the impression that some portion of the federal gas taxes they pay are being wasted on projects that do nothing to improve the safety and reliability of their commutes, when in fact the opposite is true