Tag: recovery: Page 2

Business

Following four-year high, U.S. housing starts drop 8.5% in January

After surging to a four-year high in December, much of the momentum in housing starts was lost in January though things remain markedly better than they were at the same point in 2012, according to numbers from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Census Bureau. Construction began on houses and apartments at a seasonally adjusted rate of 890,000 […]

February 20, 2013

Business

POLL: Are you optimistic about the construction industry in 2013?

There are plenty of people who get paid to make forecasts regarding how successful or unsuccessful our industry will be. We report on some of those forecasts and predictions right here. However, we wanted to see what you, the reader think about the year ahead. Answer in our poll below and tell us why you […]

February 12, 2013

Business

Nonresidential construction index stagnates year-to-year, mixed outlook for 2013

The FMI Nonresidential Construction index rose to 58.1 in the first quarter of 2013, up 2.6 points from Q4 2012’s 55.6. The index sits at the same mark of 58.1 as one year ago, but up greatly from the 35.6 in Q1 2011. With the fiscal cliff and great political uncertainty of 2012 behind it, […]

February 12, 2013

Business

Economist forecasts construction to add 140k jobs in 2013

Piggybacking off of news earlier this month that the construction industry added 30,000 jobs in December, a report from the Associated Press cites a forecast that projects the industry adding 140,000 jobs in 2013. Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight, made the projection, noting what a massive improvement it would be over 2012 […]

January 29, 2013

Business

PCA: 2013 is construction’s real turnaround year

Ed Sullivan, the Portland Cement Association’s chief economist, is not one to be overly optimistic. While others were saying that construction in 2011 — then 2012 — would break out, he was saying “not so fast.” So when PCA released it’s “strong growth rates” cement consumption forecast Thursday, it’s reason for good cheer. Sullivan says […]

January 18, 2013

Business

Construction employment declines in 151 metro areas between Nov. 2011 and Nov. 2012

The latest examination of construction employment in U.S. metro areas is out from the Associated General Contractors of America. After analyzing federal employment figures, the AGC found that construction employment declined in 151 out of 337 metropolitan areas between November 2011 and November 2012. Hiring was stagnant in 60 of those areas while 126 saw […]

January 9, 2013

Business

Construction fuel consumption index up 3.6 percent over 2011

WEX and IHS have released results of the WEX Construction Fuel Consumption Index (FCI), which indicated an increase of 3.6 percent in November year-over-year. The WEX Construction FCI measures national fuel consumption statistics for the construction industry to provide an up-to-date indication of construction activity in the United States. For November 2012, the WEX Construction […]

December 21, 2012

Business

FMI: Unconfident contractors face labor shortage, project delays

According to a new report from management consultant and investment banking provider FMI, the construction industry has contracted to the point that it is now roughly 70 percent of its size in 2006. And though things are looking up, construction business owners still face several challenges including a shrinking labor pool at a time when […]

December 19, 2012

Business

Construction companies grow while other sectors slow

A new report from Forbes based on numbers from financial information firm Sageworks says that privately-owned construction companies have “bucked the overall trend” and have seen their sales growth continue while other sectors have seen them slow. Construction companies have seen their sales grow since 2009, according to the Sageworks data. They saw 10.19 percent […]

December 14, 2012

Business

ABC: modest recovery of nonresidential construction continues in 2013

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has released its 2013 economic forecast for the United States commercial and industrial construction industry, which shows the continuation of a modest recovery for nonresidential construction next year. Anirban Basu, ABC’s chief economist, said ABC expects nonresidential construction spending to increase 5.2 percent in 2013 due to the large reductions […]

December 5, 2012

Construction Equipment

Growth expected, but construction’s economic recovery well behind other sectors

The construction sector of the U.S. economy is expected to see accelerated growth in 2013, but lags behind other sectors in recovery from the recession.

June 19, 2012

Roadbuilding

Highway Contractor

Within a handful of bright, or at least not gloomy, spots there may be opportunities for transportation agencies and highway and bridge contractors to be pro-active in their fight against the agonizingly slow recession climb-out.

January 12, 2012