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From monthly archives: April 2016

We are pleased to present below all posts archived in 'April 2016'. If you still can't find what you are looking for, try using the search box.

Quarterly GDP Growth Slowest in Two Years

Thursday, April 28, 2016 12:55 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28— Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded only 0.5 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rate) during 2016’s first quarter according to an analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). This disappointing figure follows a 1.4 percent annualized rate of economic output expansion during the fourth quarter of 2015.   Read the rest of entry »

ABC Lauds Passage of Amendment Protecting Contractors From ‘Blacklisting’ Proposal

Thursday, April 28, 2016 10:53 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28 – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today praised the adoption of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that undermines the harmful Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces proposed rule and guidance. Introduced by Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), the amendment would exclude the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) from the controversial “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” proposed rule and guidance, commonly referred to as the “blacklisting” proposal. Read the rest of entry »

March Construction Unemployment Rates Improve in 30 States from 2015

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 9:00 AM
The March not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rates for the country and 30 states were lower than in March 2015, according to analysis by economist Bernard Markstein released today by Associated Builders and Contractors. March’s 0.8 percent decrease from a year ago marked five and a half years of consecutive monthly year-over-year rate declines. Meanwhile, March national NSA employment in construction was 298,000 higher than in March 2015.

Read the rest of entry »

Construction Industry Faces Highest Tax Burden, According to U.S. Treasury

Friday, April 15, 2016 9:00 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 15– Construction shoulders a bigger tax burden than any other industry in the United States with an effective rate over 30 percent, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) responded to the report by urging lawmakers to pass tax reform that would encourage economic growth by lowering rates for both corporate and pass-through businesses.

Read the rest of entry »

Construction Material Prices Rise for First Time in Nine Months

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 11:06 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 13-Construction input prices rose on a monthly basis in March for the first time in nine months according to an analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Input prices expanded 0.9 percent on a monthly basis in March but are still down 3.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. Read the rest of entry »

ABC Applauds Appeals Court Decision in CityCenterDC Davis-Bacon Case

Tuesday, April 5, 2016 2:56 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 5—Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) applauded a decision to stop an unprecedented expansion of the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act onto a private construction project that was issued today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. ABC filed an amicus brief in the case arguing against forcing contractors to pay inaccurate government-determined wage and benefits rates on the CityCenterDC project in Washington, D.C.

Read the rest of entry »

Construction Industry Groups File Suit Over OSHA Silica Rule

Monday, April 4, 2016 3:30 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4—Eight construction industry organizations filed a petition for review of the final crystalline silica rule by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit today. Petitioning groups included: Mississippi Road Builders’ Association, American Subcontractors Association of Texas, Pelican Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Associated Masonry Contractors of Texas, Distribution Contractors Association, Mechanical Contractors Associations of Texas and Texas Association of Builders.  Read the rest of entry »

Nonresidential Spending Slip in February No Cause for Alarm

Friday, April 1, 2016 11:27 AM
Nonresidential construction spending dipped in February, falling 1.4 percent on a monthly basis according to analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Spending in the nonresidential sector totaled $690.3 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis in February. While this represents a step back from January’s figure of $700.3 billion (revised down from $701.9 billion), it is still 1.5 percent higher than the level of spending registered in December 2015 and 10.1 percent higher than February 2015.   Read the rest of entry »

Construction Remains One of Economy’s Bright Spots

Friday, April 1, 2016 11:05 AM
The U.S. construction industry added 37,000 net new jobs in March according to an analysis of today’s  the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics release by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). On a year-over-year basis, construction employment expanded by 301,000 net new jobs, the industry’s largest annual increase since May 2015.  The industry added 20,000 net new jobs in February (revised upward from 19,000) and 18,000 net new jobs in January. Read the rest of entry »