Economy
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Technology can ease the labor shortage, survey says
Not only can technology increase productivity and profitability, it also can attract talent and help retain younger workers, a recent Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk report showed.
By Laurie Cowin • Sept. 12, 2018
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SponsoredHow seasoned construction pros handle the cost of scaling up
An upturn in home-buying and commercial development is a boon for the construction industry, but the pressure to grow can squeeze construction companies grappling with cash flow, expenses and expansion.
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AGC-Autodesk survey: Labor shortage has industry at a 'tipping point'
With the "significant and widespread" problem delaying projects and increasing construction costs, the "time to act is now."
By Laurie Cowin • Aug. 31, 2018
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Tariffs rain on Seattle's building boom
The extra duties on steel and aluminum are forcing developers in several other markets as well to expand their budgets, according to a large construction firm's cost index tracker.
By Kim Slowey • Aug. 27, 2018
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Dodge: July construction starts down 9%
It's a significant drop from June, when several large projects buoyed nonresidential activity to a 2018 high that an analyst called unsustainable.
By Kim Slowey • Aug. 23, 2018
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Dodge: 2018 so far a mixed bag for commercial, multifamily starts
A robust multifamily market, which balanced an almost equal downturn on the commercial side, helped prop up overall starts in the first six months of 2018.
By Kim Slowey • Aug. 13, 2018
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AIA predicts nonresidential spending growth through 2019
The Consensus Construction Forecast Panel said spending in the commercial/industrial sector will outpace institutional outlays by 2.2% in 2018, but that institutional will take the lead in 2019.
By Kim Slowey • Aug. 10, 2018
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St. Louis sees a $750M hotel construction boom
The growth is being driven by demand from the city's burgeoning tech industry and a desire to draw in more convention business.
By Kim Slowey • Aug. 06, 2018
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Tech still not on minds of many CEOs, survey shows
Construction executives' bearish take on technology will continue in the coming year, according to Vistage's Q2 2018 CEO Confidence Index Survey.
By Joe Beeton • Aug. 01, 2018
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Dodge: High-rise construction ebbs, flows with economy
From 2013 through 2017, only 10 cities saw 50 or more 10-story-plus buildings break ground, with New York City leading and Miami at a distant second.
By Kim Slowey • July 31, 2018
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Survey: 72% of construction CEOs expect to increase revenue this year
Construction execs also outpaced the national average when it came to plans to expand their workforce in the coming year, according to the Q2 Vistage CEO Confidence Index report.
By Kim Slowey • July 31, 2018
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Office construction could start slowing in 2019, report says
The brisk pace of office construction has put some metros like Nashville in danger of overbuilding, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
By Kim Slowey • July 27, 2018
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Nonresidential construction slowed in the first half of 2018
Industrial and engineering projects climbed from last year's numbers, according to ConstructConnect, but commercial construction starts slowed.
By Laurie Cowin • July 26, 2018
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Dallas-Fort Worth No. 2 in construction starts
From January to May 2018, the value of the Texas region's new projects totaled $8.8 billion, behind New York City metro area's $15 billion.
By Kim Slowey • July 25, 2018
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Nonresidential construction sector healthy, stable — for now
An Associated Builders and Contractors report said the robust industry could, however, see a downturn by 2020 due to rising interest rates and material prices and the ongoing labor shortage.
By Laurie Cowin • July 24, 2018
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Report: Minnesota prevailing wage law doesn't bloat budgets
Peer-reviewed studies for almost 20 years have shown that the pay rule does not affect the cost of public construction projects.
By Kim Slowey • July 17, 2018
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Debts for KFC 'Yum Center' stadium in Louisville swell to $1B
Even though the venue was completed on time and within budget, the city is on the hook for unpaid costs that increased by more than $360 million in 10 years.
By Kim Slowey • July 17, 2018
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Report: Construction execs positive on short-term growth despite rising material prices, labor shortage
Most executives surveyed by Engineering News-Record said they believe the industry will continue to grow into 2019, but are leery about long-term growth.
By Kim Slowey • July 10, 2018
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Deep DiveNot your average 'snowflake': Why construction educators are excited about millennials
College construction management programs are attracting entrepreneurial young people drawn to the industry’s dynamism and job opportunities.
By Kathleen Brown • June 28, 2018
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Association: More tariffs will hurt construction, other industries
The head of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers said another $200 billion worth of duties imposed on Chinese imports would have a negative impact on the U.S. economy.
By Kim Slowey • June 21, 2018
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Report: US construction industry has a bright future
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation predicted industry growth of 5% from 2017 to 2018.
By Kim Slowey • June 18, 2018
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Slow pay adds $40B a year to construction industry costs
Late remittance from customers adds 3.3% to total project costs, a recent report found.
By Kim Slowey • June 11, 2018
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AGC: Construction employment up in more than 250 metros
Yet contractors report that it is still difficult to find qualified skilled workers.
By Kim Slowey • June 04, 2018
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Canada responds in equal measure to U.S. tariffs
Canadian tariffs on $12.6 billion of U.S. goods, including steel and aluminum, went into effect on July 1, as promised.
By Kim Slowey • UPDATED: July 3, 2018 at 9:35 a.m.
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ABC: Trump's $1.5T infrastructure plan could generate 2.6M construction jobs
The analysis found that for every $1 billion in federal construction spending, more than 6,300 jobs are created.
By Kim Slowey • May 30, 2018