Swinging the pendulum on construction careers

The skilled workforce shortage requires innovative solutions and recognizing barriers to entry.

Oct. 8, 2019

Construction unemployment returns to 2009 low

Wages were also up at the end of the month, to $30.81 an hour from $30.15 an hour last September.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 7, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Construction Dive

Construction Dive editors curate some of the industry’s top stories from this year.

By Construction Dive staff

Market watch: Track construction's economic health

A watch list of the reports, indexes, surveys and stocks that can help contractors follow what's to come for the industry and their businesses.

By Jennifer Goodman • Oct. 3, 2019

Market watch: Indicators crucial to planning for a construction downturn

Construction leaders and industry experts look to a range of signs when trying to accurately forecast the future for their businesses.

By Jennifer Goodman • Oct. 2, 2019

Market watch: Labor shortage, backlogs may mask construction slowdown

Even though business has never been better for many contractors, economists warn of signs that the construction industry may be in for a downturn.

By Jennifer Goodman • Oct. 1, 2019

AIA: Design service billings experience 'substantial' decrease in July report

Kermit Baker, the AIA's chief economist, said six months of billing and project activity declines could mean that the design industry is "facing some headwinds" for the first time since its expansion started in 2012.

By Kim Slowey • Sept. 19, 2019

7 construction OEM stocks to watch

How these public companies perform in response to a potential slowdown will likely be the focus of sector analysts for the foreseeable future.

By Kim Slowey • Sept. 13, 2019

How the competitive job market can lead to prompter payments

Prompt payment has long been a challenge for the construction industry. Complex invoicing and weak payment legislation have made it difficult for subcontractors to receive timely payment from their employers.

Sept. 10, 2019

Six tips for navigating the equipment financing process

Funding heavy-equipment acquisitions through specialized asset-backed financing allows you to purchase more and better equipment. 

Aug. 27, 2019

Report: Construction starts slow in 7 of top 20 US markets

A Dodge analysis finds that growth in commercial and multifamily starts has declined in the first half of the year compared to last year in key markets including Seattle, San Francisco and New York City.

By Jennifer Goodman • Aug. 26, 2019

Optimism high amid uncertainty

Commercial builders mostly expect profit to grow this year despite economic warning bells around debt and trade, according to an ABC confidence index.

By Kim Slowey • Aug. 26, 2019

Can Louisiana handle $32B of industrial construction?

Developers plan on combating a shortage of skilled labor with alternative strategies like modularization and the use of robotic devices.

By Kim Slowey • Aug. 21, 2019

What are the construction industry's top economic bellwethers?

From Caterpillar’s earnings to stock prices and architect billings, construction leaders rely on a variety of economic signs and signals to know when a recession is imminent. What are your top indicators?

By Jennifer Goodman • Aug. 21, 2019

Fluor re-evaluates risk, project selection amid $555M Q2 loss

"We must take a more disciplined approach to risk assessment," CEO Carlos Hernandez said. "We're focusing on profitability and cash generation."

By Joe Beeton • Aug. 7, 2019

On $97M quarterly loss, Granite Construction shifts to smaller projects

Disputes on recent multi-billion-dollar projects in the firm's heavy civil sector have caused Granite to re-evaluate its project delivery methods and its role in P3 contracts and JVs.

By Jennifer Goodman • Aug. 3, 2019

Plumbing company settles EEOC claims that it assigned only Latino workers to sewer duty

When a worker complained, a supervisor told him to return to the sewer, threatened to replace him and referred to him by a pejorative, the EEOC said.

By Lisa Burden • July 29, 2019

Caterpillar had to raise prices in light of tariffs last quarter

The steel and aluminum tariffs imposed in 2018 cost the construction equipment manufacturer an extra $70 million in the second quarter, making it hard to maintain margins.

By Shefali Kapadia • July 26, 2019

Construction's hourly wages 10% higher than private sector's

Despite increasing hourly wages 3.2% over the year to an industry average of $30.73 and offering other incentives, construction firms still face challenges attracting jobsite workers.

By Jennifer Goodman • July 19, 2019

Trump proposes tighter Buy American limits on steel, iron

Under the new rules, material would be prohibited on many federal contracts if even 5% of its value comes from foreign content.

By Kim Slowey • July 18, 2019

Credentials: why do they matter?

Credentials are a vital piece of our workforce development system and offer a path to a successful and lucrative career.

July 15, 2019

Report: 60% of US construction activity concentrated in 10 states

Of the more than 11,200 U.S. projects GlobalData tracks, California by far leads with $524.6 billion in the works, followed by Texas, New York and Florida.

By Kim Slowey • July 10, 2019

Construction spending slides in May despite predictions

Recent reports underscore the volatility of the construction business since the Great Recession — or maybe the variations in how different agencies and groups gauge the economics.

By Kim Slowey • July 2, 2019

Construction industry confidence makes a comeback in Q2 report

A new study from USG Corp. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found two primary drivers of contractor optimism — backlog and confidence in new business — rebounded in the second quarter of 2019.

By Kim Slowey • June 19, 2019

Analysts: Infrastructure, modularization, resiliency top industry drivers

While a recession is likely on the horizon, several segments of the construction industry will experience massive growth in the next few years, say experts from McKinsey and Dodge.

By Jennifer Goodman • June 11, 2019

Making up for the construction labor shortage with technology

Construction has had a complicated relationship with technology, but the shortage of skilled labor has forced the industry to re-evaluate.

June 5, 2019