Tag: economic recovery

Pickups

Ford Truck Sales Booming

2013 Ford truck sales surpass 2006 numbers showing economic recovery is strong

November 19, 2013

Business

Construction spending up 0.5% in May to nearly 4-year high behind rise in government spending

Spending on construction projects in the U.S. saw a second consecutive month of gains in May, rising 0.5 percent to a nearly four-year high, according to new data released by the U.S. Commerce Department Monday. Spending rose from the revised April figure to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $875 billion. That mark is 5.4 percent higher […]

July 1, 2013

Workforce

Construction industry adds 7k jobs in May, unemployment drops to lowest rate in nearly 5 years

The construction industry added 7,000 jobs in May to reach its highest total of workers in nearly four years, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Preliminary data from the BLS showed that the industry lost 6,000 jobs in April. But a revision reduced that loss to 2,000, meaning if May’s gains […]

June 7, 2013

Workforce

Skilled construction worker shortage already stifling economic recovery

It looks like Executive Editor Tom Jackson’s fear of construction’s current labor shortage stifling the economic recovery is already coming true. According to a recent report from the Associated Press, construction companies across the country say they feel the economy could be doing even better if they could find enough workers. They say they have […]

May 17, 2013

Business

Housing starts jump 7% in March to highest level since before recession

The housing recovery boom marches on. Following a month of stagnation in February, housing starts jumped 7 percent in March to their highest levels since June 2008, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Commerce Department. The big month pushed construction on houses and apartments over the seven figure threshold to a seasonally adjusted rate […]

April 16, 2013

Business

Annual U.S. construction value forecast to reach $919 billion

The value of annual construction is expected to show an increase of 8 percent over 2012 levels, according to a recent report from FMI. In its first quarter 2013 Construction Outlook, FMI, a management consulting and investment banking provider for the engineering and construction industry, forecasts the U.S. value of construction-put-in-place to rise to a […]

April 9, 2013

Workforce

Construction adds 18k to workforce amid weak jobs report

Though industry growth slowed considerably month-to-month, by adding 18,000 jobs in March, construction continued its streak of job growth, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Labor Department. Construction’s unemployment rate dropped to its lowest rate since 2008 to 14.7 percent. In January, the unemployment was at 15.1 percent. March’s tally is just under one-fourth […]

April 5, 2013

Business

Construction equipment investment expected to continue above average growth in 2013

Construction equipment investment is expected to continue to grow and an above average rate over the next three to six motnhs, according to the 2013 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook from the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. However, the ELFF warns that the rate of growth construction equipment has enjoyed “should continue to decline from […]

April 4, 2013

Business

Smart, skilled class of contractors necessary to navigate worst recovery in modern history

In this era of partisan news both sides will spin any facts any way to make their side look better. So getting any kind of macro-level read on the real state of the economy is difficult if not impossible. But from what I’ve seen with my own two eyes and heard with my own two […]

March 26, 2013

Workforce

Maryland light rail projects expected to create 7,000 construction jobs

Two Baltimore light rail projects are expected to create nearly 7,000 construction jobs in the area and state officials are rushing to prepare the state’s workforce. The Baltimore Purple and Red Line light rail systems, estimated to cost $2.15 billion and $2.5 billion respectively, will create jobs for "equipment operators, electricians, cement and brickmasons, carpenters […]

March 18, 2013

Business

Construction companies, AGC lobby Congress to spare programs from sequester cuts

With an estimated $4 billion in federal construction projects in jeopardy due to the sequestration cuts that took effect March 1, construction companies have begun lobbying the government to spare their projects, the New York Times reports. The Associated General Contractors of America has flooded Congress with e-mails and letters protesting the cuts. The sequester […]

March 14, 2013

Workforce

Big construction employment gains indicate rising contractor confidence

On Friday the latest round of figures from the U.S. Labor Department showed that the construction industry enjoyed its highest monthly gain in six years by adding 48,000 jobs in February. The construction industry employs 5.784 million Americans as of February. That’s the highest mark the industry has attained since September 2009 and is a 2.5-percent […]

March 11, 2013