Also, 32 States and D.C. Add Jobs Between November and December

January 23, 2018 Press release from Associated General Contractors of America

California & Nevada Have Biggest Job Gains for the Year, Iowa and Missouri Have Largest Declines;California and Montana Add the Most Jobs for the Month while New Jersey Loses the Most Jobs

Forty-two states added construction jobs between December 2016 and December 2017, while 32 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between November and December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials said a new federal infrastructure measure would help guarantee continued employment gains in the sector.

“Construction employment is expanding in many parts of the country in large part because of strong private-sector demand,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Any new public-sector investments, particularly for infrastructure projects, would help accelerate job gains in many parts of the country.”

AGC announces that 75% of construction firms plan to expand headcount and ABC predicts stable 2018 construction economy

Seventy-five percent of construction firms plan to expand headcount in 2018, contractors are optimistic about strong economy, tax & regulatory cuts

Seventy-five percent of construction firms plan to expand their payrolls in 2018 as contractors are optimistic that economic conditions will remain strong as tax rates and regulatory burdens fall, according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate. Despite the general optimism outlined in Expecting Growth to Continue: The 2018 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, many firms report they remain worried about workforce shortages and infrastructure funding.

Final tax legislation will lower rates for construction firms, spur economic growth and benefit construction employers for years

December 20, 2017

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, released the following statement regarding final passage of federal tax reform:

“Today, Congress passed comprehensive tax reform legislation that will lower rates, spur economic growth and impact construction businesses for years to come. However, this process did not start as well as it ended for the construction industry. (See chart linked here for details on the final bill)

According to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national construction industry added 24,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in November. Nonresidential construction employment added 8,600 net new jobs in November, a figure that would have been substantially higher were it not for heavy and civil engineering, which lost 7,800 for the month. In October, nonresidential construction firms shed 3,600 net positions.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc (ABC)

Full release

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8—The nation’s construction sector added 24,000 net new jobs in November, representing a 0.3 percent month-over-month increase, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3—Nonresidential construction spending expanded 0.6 percent in November, totaling $719.2 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the month-over-month expansion, nonresidential spending fell 1.3 percent from November 2016.

Private nonresidential construction spending is down 3.1 percent year-over-year, while public sector spending has increased 1.7 percent over the same period. Spending in the manufacturing and power categories, two of the larger nonresidential subsectors, fell by a combined $21.7 billion over the past year.

Original article on enr.com

Construction and engineering groups are sifting through the sweeping tax-code rewrite that the Senate approved on Dec. 2, but some see it as better than the House-passed version, particularly in its treatment of partnerships, sole proprietorships and other “pass-through” entities.

The Senate’s passage of an estimated $1.4-trillion-plus package of tax cuts early in the morning of Dec. 2 by 51-49, almost completely on party lines, marked a major step forward for the legislation, the top legislative priority for congressional Republicans and the Trump administration.

Next, Senate negotiators will have to work out differences between their bill and the $1.4-trillion version that the House passed on Nov. 16.

Some senators who felt that earlier versions of the Senate measure didn’t provide enough tax relief to pass-throughs, which are taxed on individual, not corporate, rates.

The bill’s prime author, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, and other GOP leaders won votes by increasing a deduction for pass-throughs to 23%, from 17.4% in an earlier version.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 – Nonresidential construction spending rose 2.1 percent in October, totaling $717.6 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The level of spending, however, remains virtually unchanged from a year ago.

Ten of the sixteen subcategories experienced positive growth, with educational spending topping the list with an increase of 9 percent. Public safety (up 6.8 percent), office (up 5.3 percent) and conservation and development (up 4.3 percent) were the next highest subcategories. Religious (down 3.7%) and amusement and recreation (down 3.5%) spending saw the largest decreases over the previous month.

According to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national construction industry added 11,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in October. The nonresidential sector saw a decline of 2,000 net jobs, while the residential sector added about 13,000 jobs.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc (ABC)

Full release

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3—According to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, the nation’s construction sector added 11,000 net new jobs in October, matching the revised total from September. Nonresidential construction employment, however, experienced a net decline of 2,000 jobs. The residential sector added approximately 13,000 net new jobs.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1—Nonresidential construction spending rose 0.5 percent in September, totaling $698.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. However, nonresidential construction spending is down 2.9 percent on a year-over-year basis, with construction spending related to manufacturing down 20.3 percent since September 2016. August and July nonresidential spending totals were revised upwards by a collective $11 billion, however.

According to the data released last month by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national construction industry added 8,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in September. The nonresidential sector added 11,700 jobs (mostly in the nonresidential specialty trade contractors segment), meaning that the residential construction segment lost several thousand jobs.

Press Release from Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc (ABC)

Full release