Tag: construction jobs: Page 12

Safety

Construction workers are 22% more likely to die on Texas jobsites

Over the weekend, the Dallas Morning News released a bombshell of a report on workplace deaths in Texas as compared to other states. After an analysis of the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics workplace death data available, the News found that workers in Texas are 12 percent more likely to die on the job than in […]

August 18, 2014

Technology

AEM survey: Construction firms plan to grow staff and fleet size, but most have no plans to use telematics

According to a survey released this morning by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, U.S. construction companies are fairly optimistic about the near future as the majority say they plan to either increase or maintain current fleet and staff levels. The survey was conducted by AEM earlier this year with more than 1,200 responses coming in. […]

August 18, 2014

Workforce

Seattle may require construction companies to hire local workers

The Seattle City Council is mulling over creating an ordinance that would require construction companies contracted by the city to hire a certain number of local workers for each job. According to a report from KIRO Radio, Seattle City Council member Sally Clark said the council is taking action after an analysis of construction projects […]

August 13, 2014

Business

Workforce development program gives teens a small paid job with classroom time; could be model for construction industry

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article Thursday describing how a wire factory in Georgia employed high school kids during the summer to help develop their work skills and improve their attitudes and academic performance. The program has the kids do fairly simple tasks in the factory for pay four hours a day and […]

August 11, 2014

Business

Expansion of Oklahoma fertilizer plant could put more than 1,000 contractors to work

The massive expansion of a fertilizer production plant in Oklahoma will likely have quite the impact on the construction industry well beyond its local community. The expansion of the Koch Nitrogen plant in Enid, Oklahoma, will begin in mid-September according to a report from the Enid News and Eagle. The $1.3 billion project will be […]

August 6, 2014

Business

The 6 signs of a bad construction boss

Managing employees can be one of the toughest jobs to face when running a company. Too often, contractors build their business without having any training, guidance or expertise in how to deal with their people effectively. If you’re in the black, you might not worry about how good of a boss you are, but poor […]

August 5, 2014

Business

Wages for construction workers and heavy equipment manufacturing workers are on the rise

We’re now five years into the economic recovery following the Great Recession and pay raises, according to a report from the Associated Press, are uneven across U.S. industries. Overall, pay in the U.S. has risen at a rate roughly equal to inflation: about 2 percent per year. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, […]

August 5, 2014

Business

Construction adds 22,000 jobs in July; employment now at highest level in more than 5 years

The U.S. construction industry added jobs for a seventh-straight month in July, a streak that has propelled the sector’s employment to its highest level since May 2009. July saw a sizable gain of 22,000 workers bringing the number of Americans employed in construction to 6.041 million, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. The […]

August 1, 2014

Business

In wake of safety manager’s death, California construction company continues to pay his salary; coworkers raise $120k to support family

A construction company in Milpitas, California is honoring a former employee by making sure his family is well taken care of after a tragic accident took his life more than five months ago. Lindsey Van Why, a 42-year-old husband and father to two young boys, was killed in a skiing accident on February 14 in […]

July 24, 2014

Workforce

Second-career farming proves popular: Why not second-career construction?

A recent article in the American Conservative talked up the merits and challenges of second-career farming, where middle age professionals drop the white collar life and take up small-scale, often organic, farming as a vocation. Many of these urban refugees find it tough slogging, to nobody’s surprise. But the popularity of the trend would indicate […]

July 23, 2014

Business

Building the future of your construction company: Matching tech-savvy, young employees in a mentorship with seasoned crew members

When I listen to contractors tell me how they first became involved in construction—usually a tale of early exposure and family tradition—it has hit me that what this industry needs is a corporate adoption program. But as the chances of our own Orphan Train Movement are slim, the best option we’ve got is growing the […]

July 18, 2014

Workforce

Construction newbies: How to find your place at the right company and launch a successful career in the industry

In the previous installments of this series I wrote about what it takes to survive your first week and month as a construction newbie (see here,  here, and here). Assuming you survived and have proven to be a dependable employee, here’s some final advice on how to make a career in construction. The key in […]

July 17, 2014