Deep Dive: Page 2
Industry insights from our journalists
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Construction's career crisis: Can the industry attract millennials and Gen Z?
Younger workers want flexibility and higher pay, and contractors are trying a variety of tactics to recruit them.
Ryan Golden • Oct. 27, 2021 -
Construction's career crisis: Recruiters target young workers driving the Great Resignation
An increasing number of job seekers are open to something new. The trouble is, few are likely to set their sights on construction.
Ryan Golden • Oct. 25, 2021 -
Construction's career crisis: How did we get here?
Experts weigh in on the factors that made construction a profession for "someone else's kid," and the long road ahead to fix it.
Zachary Phillips • Oct. 20, 2021 -
"Yantian port from above" by Gigel.atat is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
After years of 'Made in China,' suppliers look to alternatives
The risks of single sourcing from China have been brewing for years, but they bubbled up even more during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shefali Kapadia • Oct. 19, 2021 -
Pricing insanity: Material costs escalate, driving contractor desperation
Amid unprecedented supply chain challenges, firms locked into contracts based on last year's prices are feeling the heat.
Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Oct. 18, 2021 -
What does Katerra's demise mean for the contech and modular industries?
The company was supposed to revolutionize construction. Instead, it went bankrupt when it couldn't convince developers and builders to move away from their traditional subcontractors.
Sebastian Obando • Oct. 13, 2021 -
Construction's diversity numbers are awful. Here's how 3 contractors are improving theirs.
Leaders from PCL, Turner & Townsend and XL Construction detail the strategies they are using to tackle the issue.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 12, 2021 -
Construction Inclusion Week: Why 6 top CEOs are drawing a line on hate
Set for Oct. 18-22, the initiative is aimed at helping contractors "move the needle" on diversity and equity on jobsites, according to the leaders of some of the country's largest construction firms.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 5, 2021 -
Is climate change a worker safety issue?
Many employers do not have plans in place to deal with workplace hazards presented by extreme weather events.
Ryan Golden • Sept. 28, 2021 -
Is construction at high risk for COVID-19? It depends on how you look at it.
There have been persistent contradictions between states' coronavirus metrics and the experiences reported by contractors on jobsites.
Joe Bousquin • Sept. 9, 2021 -
The war for talent: How contractors battle for workers
The industry's labor shortage has escalated into a full-blown crisis since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what some firms are doing to compete.
Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 7, 2021 -
Contractors caught between vaccine hesitancy and owner mandates
Construction firms are scrambling to meet client requests for 100% vaccinated jobsites as the COVID-19 delta variant surges across the country.
Joe Bousquin • Aug. 24, 2021 -
With mask, vaccine mandates on the rise, employers have options — but consistency is key
Whatever employers choose, inconsistent enforcement is a "recipe for disaster," according to an attorney.
Ryan Golden • Aug. 12, 2021 -
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
Paid leave proves critical for talent retention
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, women have dropped out of the workforce in droves. Here's why.
Caroline Colvin • Aug. 9, 2021 -
10 ways the PRO Act could change the game for employers and organized labor
Currently being considered in the Senate, the bill would strengthen the ability of unions to form and collectively bargain.
Emilie Shumway • Aug. 5, 2021 -
Despite dodging tax hikes in infrastructure bill, contractors could still see higher rates
While U.S. corporations have avoided tax increases in the Senate's proposed plan, public and private contractors could still see rates go up.
Joe Bousquin • Aug. 4, 2021 -
5 strategies construction firms use to lower their taxes
From depreciation and carrying forward losses to research and development credits, public contractors rely on an array of tactics to help minimize tax bills.
Joe Bousquin • July 8, 2021 -
Analysis: Public contractors' tax rates are among the lowest of any industry
As President Joe Biden's proposal to raise corporate taxes has pushed the issue of what companies pay into the national spotlight, Construction Dive looks at public construction firms' tax bills.
Joe Bousquin • June 23, 2021 -
Amid delays and rising prices, contractors turn to tech to mitigate supply disruptions
Soaring material costs and supply chain woes are threatening a second-half rebound. Construction pros are looking to technology-based strategies to cope.
Joe Bousquin • April 28, 2021 -
What contractors should know before going after public projects
Private-sector contractors can grab a share of the billions slated for infrastructure work if they prepare themselves now. Here are six ways that public projects differ from other types of jobs.
Kim Slowey • April 22, 2021 -
Could the PRO Act become law?
Legal experts say it’s a long shot, but if passed, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act would drastically change worker-employer relations in many states.
Zachary Phillips • April 14, 2021 -
Soaring material prices, supply chain delays spook owners and developers
The rising cost of many materials and increased sourcing headaches have project owners rethinking their return to normalcy and threaten to derail construction's expected resurgence.
Joe Bousquin • April 12, 2021 -
Skyrocketing steel, lumber costs threaten to slow construction jobs
As material prices jump, U.S. contractors are coping any way they can. Here are some best practices for working around price fluctuations and shortages.
Joe Bousquin • Feb. 17, 2021 -
How the PRO Act would change the construction industry
Reintroduced in Congress Thursday, the bill designed to strengthen unions has major implications for construction firms and the workers they employ.
Zachary Phillips • Feb. 5, 2021 -
Post-pandemic: How COVID-19 will change office, hotel and mixed-use design
There are still unknowns as far as how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the look of new spaces, but flexibility in layouts will be key, design experts say.
Kim Slowey • Jan. 25, 2021