Labor

  • Construction workers build out a new structure
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    As mental health crisis grows, encourage workers to ‘be the helper’

    New CPWR data shows a significant jump in anxiety and depression among construction workers, according to a Sept. 11 webinar.

    By • Sept. 12, 2025
  • U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters in the Oval Office at the White House.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    6 labor and employment issues that are in flux, according to law firm Littler

    “In less than nine months, the new administration has transformed more than six decades of labor and employment policy,” Littler Workplace Policy Institute experts said.

    By Ginger Christ • Sept. 11, 2025
  • A group of workers in safety gear stand around a jobsite and talk.
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    Permission granted by Ross O’Donohue/Shawmut
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    Q&A

    ‘Be vulnerable’: Shawmut safety chief on value of partnerships to lower suicide rates

    This Construction Suicide Prevention Week, the contractor is among the many participating in stand-downs and education sessions.

    By • Sept. 11, 2025
  • A view of the exterior of the Department of Labor building.
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    JHVEPhoto via Getty Images
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    DOL moves to repeal independent contractor rule

    A recently released agenda flags the removal of the Biden-era regulation, itself a replacement for guidance from the first Trump administration.

    By • Sept. 10, 2025
  • Panelists on stage at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., discuss workforce trends.
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    Sebastian Obando/Construction Dive
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    Leader calls construction labor crisis a ‘national security issue’

    Panelists at the Elevate 2025 conference in Washington, D.C., called for solutions ranging from immigration reform to new pipelines for veterans and women.

    By • Sept. 10, 2025
  • A group of construction workers walk accompanied by law enforcement.
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    Courtesy of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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    After 475 arrests at Georgia jobsite, feds vow more raids

    Government agents detained hundreds of South Korean workers at the future EV battery plant, co-owned by Hyundai and LG, in the administration’s highest-profile immigration crackdown to date.

    By • Updated Sept. 9, 2025
  • Department of Labor exterior
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    Caroline Colvin/Construction Dive
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    DOL says it’s thinking about overtime as it provides timelines for regulations

    The agency published its full Spring 2025 regulatory agenda Thursday, nearly a month after apparently removing an earlier version from a White House website.

    By Ryan Golden • Sept. 8, 2025
  • A Social Security card sits next to US Treasury checks.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Employers say their employees are prepared for retirement, but workers aren’t so sure

    As a critical mass of construction workers reach retirement age, less than half of the total workforce feels financially ready to walk away from a regular paycheck, PNC Bank found.

    By Ginger Christ • Sept. 4, 2025
  • A construction worker wears high-vis safety gear on a jobsite.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Economic Reports

    Amid immigration scrutiny, job openings leap

    Construction counted 306,000 unfilled positions at the end of July, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the highest level in over a year.

    By • Sept. 4, 2025
  • A construction walks on the construction site of the Tidal Basin project in Washington, D.C.
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    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Immigration crackdowns intensify construction labor woes

    Workforce shortages remain the top cause for project slowdowns, according to AGC and NCCER.

    By • Sept. 3, 2025
  • A female trainee plumber is seen working on a central heating boiler.
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    Highwaystarz-Photography via Getty Images
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    Skilled trades initiatives expand as demand for workers is projected to grow

    Demand for HVAC, electrical and plumbing workers is expected to grow at a rate much faster than average, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says.

    By Joe Burns • Sept. 3, 2025
  • People walking at Oculus mall in New York City
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    The 2025 midyear HR checkup: Layoffs, DEI pivots and a ‘tricky’ AI future

    A large-scale divestment from people initiatives has left HR teams in an uncomfortable spot, one expert said.

    By Ryan Golden • Aug. 28, 2025
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    Danielle Ternes/Construction Dive
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    Column // The Dotted Line

    Who is liable when a ‘borrowed’ construction worker gets hurt?

    Temps and subs can help fill vital gaps on construction projects, but they create layers of liability that can be costly if left unaddressed.

    By Keith Loria • Aug. 26, 2025
  • U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    3 DEI approaches employers must reconsider to avoid federal ire

    The principles set forth in a recent DOJ memo are likely to be applied by the EEOC to all employers under Title VII, attorney Jonathan Segal writes.

    By Jonathan Segal • Aug. 25, 2025
  • Two construction interns stand side by side on a jobsite
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    Permission granted by Shivani Pemaraj
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    Q&A

    Skanska intern builds on her interest in sustainable construction

    Purdue engineering student Shivani Pemaraj, who also holds a black belt in karate, says she has gotten experience in every facet of the industry this summer.

    By • Aug. 22, 2025
  • A man speaks at a podium next to road signs.
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    Courtesy of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
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    Kentucky launches work zone speed cameras

    After more than 1,200 road work crashes in 2024, the state has created a system for fining motorists speeding near active jobsites.

    By • Aug. 21, 2025
  • A construction worker operates an earth mover on a construction site.
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    How to write the next chapter for women in construction

    Women leaders have made progress in the industry. Now it’s time for them to bring up the next generation, writes one project executive.

    By Stacy Roman • Aug. 20, 2025
  • The Business Roundtab;e, skilled trades
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    Hiraman via Getty Images
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    US companies collaborate to grow skilled trades workforce

    The Business Roundtable sees opportunities to solve the labor gap on a large scale.

    By Benton Graham • Aug. 19, 2025
  • A group of people sit and stand on a jobsite.
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    Permission granted by Bechtel
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    Bechtel, AFSP launch suicide prevention initiative

    In 2024, the firm pledged $7 million to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Now, the partnership is releasing the first wave of resources aimed at reaching 500,000 workers.

    By • Aug. 19, 2025
  • A group of people in construction safety gear pose for a photograph.
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    Permission granted by McCarthy Building Cos.
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    Q&A

    Tips to maximize a construction internship: McCarthy lead

    Planning, tasking and an open feedback loop are vital for a robust, mutually rewarding internship, said McCarthy’s early career program manager.

    By • Aug. 18, 2025
  • A group of people in construction gear pose for a photograph on a jobsite below cranes.
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    Permission granted by University of Kentucky
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    Column // Help Wanted

    Walsh teams with Goodwill to train workers on Kentucky healthcare job

    The Chicago-based contractor is training workers while it builds a $781 million hospital for the University of Kentucky, a frequent practice for pre-apprenticeships.

    By • Updated Aug. 26, 2025
  • State representatives at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School in Haverhill.
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    Courtesy of Commonwealth Corporation
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    Massachusetts awards skilled trades grants, approves private apprenticeship program

    The approval of C&W Services’ apprenticeship program offers the facility service firm “a competitive advantage in a tight labor market,” an executive said.

    By Joe Burns • Aug. 13, 2025
  • A construction worker sits sadly on a jobsite.
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    interstid via Getty Images
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    Be ‘in tune’ with workers to assess their well-being, presenters say

    It’s critical to know employees in order to spot warning signs when one is struggling with mental health issues, said presenters at the ASSP Conference + Expo last month.

    By • Aug. 7, 2025
  • A group of construction workers lined up on a construction jobsite.
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    Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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    Opinion

    ICE raids worsen construction’s labor shortage. Contractors must respond.

    I-9 audits, tapping labor groups and cross-training existing employees can help builders stay on track, a construction accountant writes.

    By Chris Coleman • Aug. 7, 2025
  • An exterior of a building.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Construction economists say they trust revised jobs data

    President Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics over a recent report, which also slashed June's new construction jobs by 90%.

    By • Aug. 7, 2025