Tag: workforce: Page 15

U.S. contractors optimistic about 2015 with 80% planning to make new hires, buy new equipment

After finishing 2014 with employment at nearly a six-year high, hiring within the construction industry is expected to expand at an even faster rate in 2015, according to a new survey and forecast from the Associated General Contractors of America. According to the survey, which solicited response from more than 900 construction firms in 48 […]

January 22, 2015

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These 2 construction crews were instrumental in helping firefighters save lives in Baltimore, Minnesota house fires

Construction workers in Baltimore and a small Maine town used their skills for a slightly different but heroic purpose earlier this week and the week prior: coming to the aid of firefighters. First, after seeing a fire break out at a Baltimore row house Tuesday afternoon, a group of construction workers rushed into the flames […]

January 15, 2015

In this still of a report from WBAL TV, Baltimore firefighters thank a group of construction workers for their heroism in saving a man and two children from a row house fire Tuesday afternoon.

Shortage of skilled construction workers delays completion of Iowa biofuel plant

An Iowa biofuel plant is the latest major construction project to fall victim to the widespread shortage of skilled workers in the U.S. According to a report from the Ames Tribune, DuPont has delayed the completion date of a cellulosic ethanol plant the company is building in the city of Nevada, Iowa. The $200 million plant, […]

January 15, 2015

Construction in process on the DuPont biofuel plant in Nevada, Iowa.

Construction adds 48,000 workers in December to finish 2014 at nearly 6-year high

The construction industry added Americans to its workforce in every month of 2014, an employment streak capped by an addition of 48,000 workers in December. The U.S. construction workforce now employs 6.166 million people according to preliminary data from the Labor Department. That’s the highest employment mark for the industry since March 2009 when it employed 6.291 million. […]

January 9, 2015

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Houston construction worker shot in another jobsite robbery

For the third time in the last few weeks a construction worker has been shot by armed robbers while on the job, this time in Houston. According to a report from ABC 13, two workers were working on a northeast Houston jobsite for the St. Andrews Ministry Center Wednesday morning when two men dressed in black approached them […]

January 9, 2015

In this still from ABC 13 video, the jobsite where one worker was shot in a Wednesday morning robbery is seen.

Worker hit in head by bullet as construction crew is targeted in drive-by shooting in St. Louis

A subcontractor on a parking lot project in St. Louis has pulled out of the job after a drive-by shooting targeted a construction crew earlier this week. According to a report from KMOV TV, four men fired about a dozen bullets from a car driving along 2nd Street targeting the construction workers. Thankfully no one was […]

January 2, 2015

Sacramento worker no longer homeless thanks to NBA team’s construction apprenticeship program

One of the main reasons the majority of contractors in the U.S. say they are unable to fill positions with qualified workers is the weakening of what used to be a strong training pipeline for construction workers in most communities. According to a report from Fox 40 TV in Sacramento, California, the city’s NBA team […]

December 25, 2014

Construction superintendent risks his life to stop wrong-way driver in Florida

After seeing story after story about deaths resulting from accidents caused by people driving the wrong way down Florida Interstates and highways, one construction worker took action last week when he was confronted with a similar situation. According to a report from WTSP TV, Ed Heitner, a project superintendent for Tampa-based Prince Contracting, was driving south […]

December 9, 2014

Prince Contracting superintendent Ed Heitner in an interview with WTSP TV. Heitner risked his life to stop a wrong-way driver on Interstate 275.

Construction adds 20,000 workers in November, but unemployment rises

With an addition of 20,000 workers during November, the U.S. construction industry added employees to its workforce for an 11th consecutive month. The industry now employs 6.109 million Americans, according to preliminary data from the Labor Department. That’s the highest employment mark for construction since April 2009 when it employed 6.154 million people. The new […]

December 8, 2014

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Obama unveils immigration reform shielding 5 million from deportation; challenges Congress to “pass a bill”

During a defiant speech from the East Room of the White House Thursday night, President Barack Obama unveiled sweeping immigration reforms that would shield nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation and make it easier for highly-skilled immigrants to work here. There are currently 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. and an estimated […]

November 21, 2014

Obama immigration speech

Construction workers across U.S. push through blast of Bering Bomb cold snap

After the remnants of a Pacific typhoon sent arctic air across much of the United States last week, temperatures dipped to unseasonable lows across the country, making the jobs of many construction workers that much harder. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, road crews working a project on Highway 27 are used to cold weather, but said the […]

November 16, 2014

The Bering Bomb. A view of the Pacific typhoon that hit Alaskan islands before weakening and sending cold air across the U.S. Credit: NASA

Oklahoma DOT offers free week-long construction training program for those looking to enter the industry

With the latest survey from the Associated General Contractors of America showing that 83 percent of contractors in the U.S. are having trouble finding enough skilled workers to meet demand, it’s become clear that the most straightforward answer to the problem is to begin training up a new workforce. To that end, we’ve seen states […]

November 13, 2014

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