Labor

  • A man stands in a board room, looking out on the horizon
    Image attribution tooltip
    brightstars via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion // Business Matters

    How new construction execs can set themselves up to succeed

    Emerging leaders must be flexible in the face of change while also speaking up for what they need, writes consultant Matt Verderamo.

    By Matt Verderamo • May 14, 2025
  • A group of construction workers stand together on a jobsite
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by McHugh Construction
    Image attribution tooltip
    Safety Week 2025

    Ready to stand down? Construction Safety Week kicks off.

    This year’s initiative will focus on fall prevention among other efforts to keep workers safe and healthy.

    By • May 5, 2025
  • A brown Department of Labor sign in front of a beige building under a clear blue sky.
    Image attribution tooltip
    iStock Editorial via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    DOL orders staff not to enforce Biden-era independent contractor rule

    The Labor Department is still considering whether to rescind the rule, which faces ongoing litigation, it said Thursday.

    By Ryan Golden • May 5, 2025
  • a woman hangs a Help Wanted sign on a window
    Image attribution tooltip
    YinYang via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Economic Reports

    Construction hiring slows to lowest rate ever recorded

    New job numbers point to a decreased demand for labor across the industry, according to Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis.

    By • May 1, 2025
  • immigration
    Image attribution tooltip
    David Ryder via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    ‘I can’t find any help’: Employers scramble to solve worker shortages caused by immigration crackdowns

    President Donald Trump recently said the government would seek to let some undocumented persons return to the country “if they’re good,” but he was scant on details.

    By Ryan Golden • May 1, 2025
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, in a blue suit and tie, gestures from a podium.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    DOT will cut funds to transportation projects with DEI: Duffy

    The U.S. transportation secretary also told funding recipients that they need to cooperate with immigration officers or potentially face civil or criminal prosecution.

    By • April 29, 2025
  • A collage of workers in the construction industry.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Dimelo Media
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by HACIA

    HACIA’s 2024 Impact Report: How one organization is building a more inclusive construction industry

    How HACIA is helping diverse business owners grow and win in Illinois’ construction industry.

    April 28, 2025
  • participants learn about roofing and the skilled trades
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by GAF
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column // Help Wanted

    Trades skills course provides second chances

    GAF Roofing Academy’s free weeklong training seeks to get students, some of whom have been charged with a crime or served prison sentences, job-ready.

    By • April 24, 2025
  • President Donald Trump's motorcade prepares to leave the White House.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Al Drago via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump orders federal procurement overhaul

    The effort is set to bring about the biggest change to how the government buys products and services since the 1990s.

    By • April 22, 2025
  • The skyline of a city along a river.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Aerial_Views via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    PLA use didn’t increase project costs, Illinois study finds

    Project labor agreements increased bidding competition on awards within the state, according to research from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.

    By Keith Loria • April 17, 2025
  • an older worker trains a new worker on a construction site
    Image attribution tooltip
    Akacin Phonsawat via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion // Business Matters

    Why do we set up new hires to fail?

    The construction industry must move away from "sink-or-swim" training and instead provide early career workers with the coaching they need, writes consultant Fulton Cure.

    By Fulton Cure • April 15, 2025
  • Two men sit in chairs and shake hands.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Union calls for return of ‘unlawfully’ deported tradesworker

    SMART characterized the U.S. government’s removal of first-year apprentice Kilmar Abrego Garcia as "unconscionable." Monday, El Salvador’s president said he wouldn’t coordinate his return.

    By • April 15, 2025
  • ICE agent monitors asylum seekers at immigration center
    Image attribution tooltip
    David Dee Delgado via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    Trump’s immigration enforcement against employers has been gradual. That may soon change.

    Worksite visits and arrests at smaller worksites are already happening. Operations against bigger employers, coupled with the threat of penalties, are likely fast approaching.

    By Ryan Golden • April 10, 2025
  • U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Jeremy Poland via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trades group sues federal government over PLA exemption

    NABTU argues that a Biden-era executive order mandating project labor agreements is still in effect, despite the Trump administration’s moves to curb their use.

    By • April 10, 2025
  • An engineer looks at a table while overseeing a construction site.
    Image attribution tooltip
    sculpies/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    How to use tech to fill construction’s skills gap

    While new technology can be daunting for workers and managers alike, a venture chief says starting small and educating onsite personnel can help firms stay ahead of the curve.

    By Gonzalo Galindo • April 9, 2025
  • A woman drive a scissors lift on a sidewalk
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Bond Building Construction
    Image attribution tooltip
    Q&A

    Project engineer follows in her father’s footsteps

    Bond Building Construction’s Destiny Fausta’s love of construction began when she visited jobsites as a young girl.

    By • April 9, 2025
  • A group of people in safety gear pose in a big metal shop.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by HMSE
    Image attribution tooltip

    Industry groups launch National Career In Trades Week

    The organizations are boosting their marketing to Generation Z as a way to close the labor gap.

    By • April 7, 2025
  • A blue clipboard with a white paper that says "OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration," and protective gear lying above it.
    Image attribution tooltip
    designer491 for iStock via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Protecting OSHA protects workers. Slashing its budget is a dangerous mistake.

    Now is the time to invest more — not less — in the agency, writes a safety leader.

    By Cam Mackey • April 4, 2025
  • A woman welding
    Image attribution tooltip
    Fox Photos via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Women’s trade organization granted temporary restraining order in DOL, Trump DEI case

    President Donald Trump failed to properly define DEI in his Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 executive orders, Chicago Women in Trades claimed, thus putting its funding at risk.

    By Caroline Colvin • April 3, 2025
  • A construction worker sites on a jobsite, looking sad.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SimonSkafar via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    More worker benefits can lead to improved mental health, studies show

    Factors including paid medical or family leave correlated with reduced rates of suicide in construction, according to panelists of a recent CPWR webinar.

    By • April 3, 2025
  • An ironworker on a construction jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    kali9 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Hiring slows amid economic uncertainty

    Job openings data indicate contractors are reluctant to dismiss workers, even as unfilled positions fell year over year.

    By • April 2, 2025
  • The New York State Capitol Building in Albany, New York
    Image attribution tooltip
    demerzel21 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Proposed New York law would expand prevailing wage requirements

    Under the legislation, private projects receiving at least 20% in public funding would fall under set pay standards.

    By • March 31, 2025
  • A construction worker drinks water on a jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    CasarsaGuru via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New Mexico advances heat safety rule

    If passed, the state would be the sixth to implement its own heat-related guidance, after a federal standard appears to have lost steam.

    By • March 31, 2025
  • A construction worker builds a small structure.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Arizona Builders Alliance
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column // Help Wanted

    Arizona SkillsUSA competition showcases trade options

    The Arizona Builders Alliance event featured more than 140 students entering contests in various craft categories.

    By • March 27, 2025
  • A man holds up a signed paper while sitting behind a desk.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Wong via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump order targets PLAs on federal jobs

    The number of project labor agreements used on federally funded projects will likely decrease, though they won’t completely disappear, legal experts say.

    By • March 24, 2025