Article written by Natalie RItchie on the Viewpoint blog

If you do a little digging, you may notice that many industries utilize development and maintenance processes that are often repetitive and standardised across the scope of their operations. This may work for them. However, within the construction sector there are multiple aspects which require different approaches, meaning a one-size fits all approach is not appropriate. Each project requires a distinctive output, may be run by various departments, and may be undertaken under a unique set of circumstances. It is akin to a large machine with multiple moving parts and it is because of these multiple parts and unique approaches that there can be a tendency for miscommunication, teamwork issues, and conflicts.

Key Takeaways

• Nonresidential construction spending, which totaled $792.6 billion on a seasonally adjusted annual basis for April, was a 6.4% increase over the same time last year.
• Among the 16 nonresidential construction spending categories, nine experienced an increase in monthly spending, with the largest increases registered in water supply (9.8%), highway and street (6.8%) and transportation (3.9%).
• While public nonresidential spending expanded 4.8% on a monthly basis and increased 15.4% since April 2018, private nonresidential spending fell 2.9% in April and is up just 0.6 % year-over-year.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

According to data released Friday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national construction industry added 4,000 net new jobs in May.

Key Takeaways

• The construction industry added 4,000 net new jobs in May and, on a year-over-year basis, has expanded by 215,000 jobs, an increase of 3.0%.
• Nonresidential employment lost 1,500 net jobs last month but is up by 136,000 jobs compared to the same time last year. Heavy and civil engineering lost 9,400 jobs last month, but is still up by 30,000 jobs or 2.9% on a year-over-year basis.
• "For years, ABC analysts have pointed to 2020 as a likely period during which the next economic downturn will begin. That conjecture remains sensible, especially in light of today’s release."
• "Many construction firms report they are raising pay and increasing benefits to help recruit from the dwindling pool of available workers.”

Article written by Tom Sawyer and Jeff Rubenstone and appears on enr.com

Cybercriminals find the construction world a rich phishing ground with fat prey and soft targets

At the end of April, just as St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in Brunswick, Ohio, neared the close of a five-month-long, $5.5-million renovation, Father Bob Stec, the parish pastor, was surprised to hear that the contractor, Marous Brothers Construction, Willoughby, Ohio, had not received a $1.7- million payment.

“We were paying our bills. At some point somebody was able to get into our email system and in the course of that, changed the routing numbers for the wire transfers,” the pastor told local reporters. The $1.7 million disappeared.

May 6-10 is Construction Safety Week, a national, industry-wide effort to promote safety best practices and raise awareness of the importance of an uncompromising commitment to safety in the construction industry.

WASHINGTON, May 6—Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2019 Safety Performance Report today, an annual assessment that furthers the construction industry’s understanding of how to achieve world-class safety through its STEP Safety Management System. Published in conjunction with Construction Safety Week, the report documents the dramatic impact of using proactive safety practices to reduce recordable incidents by up to 85%, making the best-performing companies 680% safer than the industry average.

According to data released last week by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national construction industry added 33,000 net new jobs in April.

Key Takeaways

• On a year-over-year basis, industry employment is up 256,000 jobs, representing a 3.5% increase.
• Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 22,100 net new jobs compared to March and 114,300 net new jobs year over year.
• The construction industry unemployment rate fell to 4.7%, down 2.2% from the same time last year, which represents the lowest April rate since the series began in the year 2000.
• "Many economists are predicting a recession in 2020 or 2021. While that’s possible, the case for an economic downturn over the next 12 to 18 months is fading fast. The nation has added jobs in 103 consecutive months and the unemployment rate is at its lowest level since 1969."

Key Takeaways

• Nonresidential construction spending, which totaled $775.2 billion on a seasonally adjusted annual basis for March, was a 4.8% increase over the same time last year.
• Private nonresidential spending rose 0.5% for the month and is up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis.
• Public nonresidential spending fell 1.3% for the month but is still up 9% for the year.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

WASHINGTON, May 1— According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released today, national nonresidential construction spending declined 0.3% in March 2019. On a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $775.2 billion for the month, which represents a 4.8% increase compared to the same time last year.

Article written by Chris Moor on ConstructionExec.com

The construction industry is ripe for improvement and brimming with potential. It’s also expected to be a 10 trillion-dollar industry by 2020. Today, construction constitutes 13% of the global gross domestic product, yet it’s well documented that productivity growth remains dramatically low. In reality, construction is emerging from old ways of thinking and challenges that span people, processes and technology. 

Article written by Mary Grandy and Trish Drew on ConstructionExec.com

Now that businesses are settled into the new year, it’s a good time to consider some of the top insurance and risk management challenges that contractors and other construction organizations should expect in 2019.

Auto Premiums Continue Upward Trajectory

Chances are good that businesses already have felt the impact of rising auto insurance premiums. Insurance carriers have been facing an increase in both frequency and severity of auto losses during the past several years, making commercial auto one of the worst performing property casualty insurance lines. As a result, underwriters have continued to increase rates and premiums to offset tighter margins, as well as reevaluate and often restrict their underwriting appetites. 

Key Takeaways

• Nonresidential construction spending, which totaled $773.8 billion on a seasonally adjusted annual basis for February, was a 4.8% increase over the same time last year.
• Private nonresidential spending fell 0.5 percent for the month and is only up 0.1 percent on a year-over-year basis.
• Public nonresidential spending is up 3.7 percent for the month and an impressive 12.1 percent for the year.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

WASHINGTON, April 1—According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released today, national nonresidential construction spending rose 1.2 percent in February. Seasonally adjusted nonresidential spending totaled $773.8 billion, a 4.8 percent increase over the same time last year.