Labor Shortage is our Fault. We’re Not Fixing it
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange We don’t have people to do the jobs. We won’t have them for quite a while, and it’s our fault. 160 people filled the ballroom at the Phoenix Country Club on May 18 to hear the somber message, but no one argued against it. A panel, moderated by […]
Public Works Market is Strong, but Shifting
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Attendees of the American Public Works Association Arizona Chapter luncheon on Weds., May 16, got a fast-paced and furiously detailed state of the public construction market overview and its impending changes from AZBEX Founder and Publisher Rebekah Morris. After reminding everyone that, while Capital Improvement Project plans are […]
8 Construction Trends to Watch in 2018
By Kim Slowey, Mary Tyler March and Laurie Cowin for ConstructionDIVE After a robust 2017, commercial construction companies are anticipating an even stronger 2018, with the majority reporting they plan to expand their staffs, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. As professionals seek to map out 2018 and beyond, there are a number of trends shaping […]
Inside Construction’s Battle with Opioids
By Cameron Sperance and Chuck Sudo for Bisnow The American opioid crisis has been declared a national public health emergency, but the U.S. construction industry does not seem ready to take action regarding its own significant role in the deadly epidemic. The $1T industry has been hit harder than almost any other sector of the […]
Const. Unemployment Improves in 35 States
Source: Associated Builders and Contractors The not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in August, down 0.4 percent from a year ago and the lowest August rate on record, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Unemployment rates were also down in 35 states on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis today by Associated Builders […]
A Labor Shortage for Ariz. Infra. Projects?
By Rebekah Morris for Arizona Builder’s Exchange We’ve all read the headlines about what the construction labor shortage is doing to the industry. From blanket statements of doom and gloom to more moderate projections and cautionary visions of price increases and schedule delays, it’s hard to tell what the real impact is to local projects. […]
Groups Concerned, Hopeful About Const. Jobs
By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange Construction added 11,000 new jobs in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While that puts the overall number at 6,881,000 – its highest point since late 2008 – leading industry groups remain concerned about the state of the labor market, particularly when it comes to […]