U.S. Economic Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter; Nonresidential Fixed Investment Maintains Momentum, Says ABC

WASHINGTON, July 28—Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 2.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis during the year’s second quarter, according to Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Nonresidential fixed investment, a category of GDP embodying nonresidential construction activity, expanded at a 5.2 percent seasonally adjusted annual rate. This follows a 7.2 percent expansion during the first quarter.
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National Construction Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.5 Percent, the Lowest June Rate on Record

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1—In June, the not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, down 0.1 percent from a year ago and the lowest June rate on record, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According to an analysis released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), NSA construction unemployment rates were down in 31 states on a year-over-year basis, and the construction industry employed 204,000 more workers than in June 2016. 
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ABC Applauds Introduction of the Save Local Business Act to Rein In ‘Joint Employer’ Standard

WASHINGTON, July 28--Kristen Swearingen, vice president of Legislative & Political Affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors and chair of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, today issued the following statement on the introduction of the Save Local Business Act, which would roll back the Obama administration’s expanded definition of “joint employer” under the National Labor Relations Act and Fair Labor Standards Act:
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ABC Calls on Congress to Support Expansion of Construction Apprenticeship Programs

WASHINGTON, July 26--Michael Bennett, vice president of the Cianbro Cos., Pittsfield, Maine, today told Congress that industry-driven training programs should play a bigger role in government efforts to close the workforce/skills gap that has left 500,000 construction jobs unfilled in the United States today. Bennett testified on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development to call for support for President Trump’s recent executive order expanding apprenticeships, which would help ensure job seekers get exactly the training required for success in today’s job market.
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ABC Announces Hire of Stephen Wiltshire as Safety Director

WASHINGTON, July 17—Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced that veteran construction safety expert Stephen M. Wiltshire has joined its 70-person staff as director of safety.
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Construction Input Prices Tick Higher in June; Crude Petroleum Prices Rebound

WASHINGTON, July 13--Construction input prices rose 0.2 percent in June, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). This represents the sixth increase in construction input prices over the past seven months, but the overall rate of increase has been quite slow. On a year-over-year basis, construction input prices are up 2.6 percent.
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Broad Business Coalition Seeks Rollback of New Joint Employer Standard

WASHINGTON, July 12 — Coalition to Save Local Businesses Executive Director Michael Layman released the below statement on today’s House Education and the Workforce full committee hearing exploring the impact of the NLRB’s expanded joint employer standard. Read the rest of entry »

U.S. Labor Market Resurgent in June; Construction Adds 16,000 Jobs

Washington, July 10--National construction employment added 16,000 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in June, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).  Overall construction employment expanded 3.1 percent on a year-over-year basis, easily outpacing the year-over-year growth rate of 1.6 percent for all nonfarm industries.
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Despite Lofty Backlog, Nonresidential Construction Spending Remains Stagnant in May, Says ABC

WASHINGTON, July 3 - Nonresidential construction spending expanded by 0.3 percent on both a monthly and yearly basis in May and stands at $714.3 billion on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to analysis of a report from the U.S. Census Bureau released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). 
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