Brooke Wenger of Triad Engineering Named ABC Young Professional of the Year

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 30– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced that Brooke Wenger, director of business development at Triad Engineering Inc. in Hagerstown, Md., has been named ABC’s 2016 Young Professional of the Year. Wenger, a member of ABC’s Cumberland Valley (CVC) and Keystone chapters, was among three finalists for the award chosen based on their career achievement, leadership and vision for future industry enhancement from a field of more than 30 nominations representing 20 ABC chapters across the country. Read the rest of entry »

Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 33 States Year-Over-Year, ABC Says

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 29—October not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rates were down in 33 states and the nation on a year-over-year basis, according to analysis released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The national NSA construction unemployment rate of 5.7 percent was down 0.5 percent from a year ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Read the rest of entry »

Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 33 States Year-Over-Year

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 29—October not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rates were down in 33 states and the nation on a year-over-year basis, according to analysis released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The national NSA construction unemployment rate of 5.7 percent was down 0.5 percent from a year ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Read the rest of entry »

ABC Praises Injunction Against Department of Labor’s Controversial Overtime Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 23– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today welcomed news that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) burdensome and costly overtime final rule. Prior to the injunction, the rule was scheduled to go into effect on Dec. 1 and would have doubled the current minimum salary threshold for employees that are exempt from overtime pay and automatically increased it every three years. Read the rest of entry »

Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 21– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released its annual update to “Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard,” which reviews and grades state-specific policies and information significant to the success of the commercial and industrial construction industry. The scorecard highlights states that have created a free enterprise-based environment where merit shop contractors are well positioned to succeed and calls attention to states where strategic improvements need to be made. Read the rest of entry »

ABC Applauds Court’s Ruling to Permanently Block DOL’s Persuader Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 16– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today welcomed news that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has permanently blocked the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) “persuader rule,” officially named the Interpretation  of  the  ‘Advice’  Exemption  in  Section  203(c)  of  the  Labor-Management  Reporting  and  Disclosure  Act. In finding the rule unlawful, the District Court has maintained employers’ right to obtain advice from labor relations experts. Read the rest of entry »

Construction Input Prices Remain Flat in October

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 16—Construction input prices remained unchanged in October and are just 0.5 percent above where they were a year ago, according to analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Despite the modest increase in the aggregate input price level, today’s report represents the largest year-over-year price increase since November 2014. Generally, construction input prices, particularly natural gas and crude petroleum, have headed lower since the summer of 2014. However, that pattern of falling prices no longer holds. Crude petroleum prices were up 10.5 percent on a year-over-year basis in October while natural gas prices were up 12.2 percent. Read the rest of entry »

Associated Builders and Contractors Congratulates President-elect Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 9–Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released the following statement on the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Read the rest of entry »

Construction Growth Modest in Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 4—The U.S. construction industry added 11,000 net new jobs in October, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Industry employment increased 0.2 percent on a monthly basis and 3 percent on a yearly basis. Nonresidential construction employment added 3,300 net new jobs for the month and 56,200 net new jobs from October 2015. Read the rest of entry »

Nonresidential Construction Spending Down in September, but August Data Upwardly Revised

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 1—Nonresidential construction spending fell 0.9 percent from August to September 2016, according to analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Nonresidential spending totaled $690.5 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis for the month, 0.7 percent below September 2015’s figure. Read the rest of entry »