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The U.S. economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.3 percent during the first quarter of 2018, while fixed investment increased at an annualized rate of 4.6 percent, according to an ABC analysis of advanced estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

On April 25, in testimony before a U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee, ABC Keystone Chapter President and CEO David Sload, a 39-year veteran of construction workforce development, highlighted the role apprenticeship programs play in equipping workers with the skills necessary to compete in the modern economy.

Incorporating technology to improve productivity and addressing a shortage of workers are among the top challenges facing the construction industry, according to chief executives from ABC and other leading firms at this year’s BuiltWorlds Summit in Chicago. The exclusive gathering brought together architecture, engineering, technology and construction leaders and strategists to engage in open discussion about the current and future state of the built industry in April.  

To celebrate the National Safety Stand-down, May 7-11, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is providing several resources on preventing workplace hazards, including a webinar on fall prevention in the construction industry.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has extended the deadline for filing the 2017 EEO-1 Survey from March 31 to June 1, 2018. According to the EEOC FAQs, for the 2017 EEO-1 reporting cycle, the EEO-1 will collect data on the race, ethnicity and sex of workers by job category from private employers with 100 or more employees and federal contractors with 50 or more employees and $50,000 in contract(s).

Citing a survey of ABC member and chapter labor attorneys that found widespread dissatisfaction with the 2014 “ambush” election final rule, ABC submitted comments urging the National Labor Relations Board to rescind the rule in whole or in significant part and return to the election procedures that were in effect and working well prior to the new rule’s adoption.

ABC and the U.S. Veterans Business Alliance recently signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on expanding the participation of veteran and disabled veteran businesses in the merit shop construction industry. The agreement was signed on March 20 during ABC Convention 2018 in Long Beach, Calif.

On April 12, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division released three opinion letters that address compliance issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act and other similar laws.

On April 12, ABC members attended a ceremony with President Trump in the White House Rose Garden celebrating the positive effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on businesses. As a result of the bill, 55 percent of ABC contractor members say they plan to hire more employees, and 52 percent plan to invest in workforce development, according to a recent poll. In addition, 90 percent of member companies say employees have seen an increase in their paychecks.

Commercial and industrial construction contractors entered 2018 with abundant confidence regarding sales and staffing levels for the next six months, according to the latest Construction Confidence Index released by ABC. All three components surveyed—sales, profit margins and staffing levels—remained well above 50 in the diffusion index, signaling ongoing progress.

On April 11, the U.S. Senate voted 50-48 to confirm John Ring to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Mr. Ring's confirmation brings the NLRB back to five members: three Republicans and two Democrats. ABC sent a letter to the Senate in support of Mr. Ring, who served as a partner at Morgan Lewis. ABC will count Wednesday's vote as a key vote for the 115th congressional scorecard.  

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SCORE Association will host a free, three-day Virtual Conference during SBA’s 2018 National Small Business Week, May 1-3.

ABC’s Construction Executive magazine was included in a list of the top 20 contractor magazines issued by GenieBelt, a construction project management software company. The magazine also won a Silver Azbee Award of Excellence for the Mid-Atlantic region from the American Society of Business Publication Editors last week.

On April 9, federal agency heads signed the “One Federal Decision Memorandum of Understanding,” which will further implement the administration's executive order to streamline the federal permitting process for major infrastructure projects. ABC expressed support for the executive order when it was announced in 2017. 

Prices for inputs to construction materials expanded 0.8 percent in March and are 5.8 percent higher than at the same time one year ago, according to an ABC analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Prices for nonresidential construction inputs increased 0.9 percent on a monthly basis and are up 5.6 percent year over year.

The U.S. construction industry lost 15,000 jobs on net in March, according to an ABC analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents a significant reversal from February, when the industry added a post-recession high of 65,000 net new jobs (upwardly revised from +61,000).

On April 3, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division launched the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, a new nationwide pilot program to assist employers in expediting the resolution of inadvertent overtime and minimum wage violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The pilot program will be implemented for approximately six months nationwide.

On March 19, 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce began accepting exclusion requests from U.S. industry for the recently announced tariffs on steel and aluminum product imports. According to the notice published in the Federal Register, “individuals or organizations using steel or aluminum articles identified in presidential proclamations 9704 and 9705 and engaged in business activities in the United States may submit exclusion requests.” 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division released several videos that will assist employers with complying with the requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The February 2018 not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate was 7.8 percent, down 1 percent from February 2017 and the lowest national February rate on record, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by ABC. Estimated construction unemployment rates were down in 34 states on a year-over-year basis, unchanged in one state (Arizona) and up in 15 states.

Nonresidential construction spending inched 0.1 percent higher in February, according to an ABC analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Nonresidential spending, which totaled $732.8 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, has expanded 1.3 percent since February 2017.