Tag: workforce: Page 7

Roadbuilding

ARTBA offering scholarships to children of highway workers killed or disabled on the job

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation is once again offering scholarships to the children of highway workers who were killed or permanently injured while doing road work. ARTBA announced earlier this month it was seeking applications from qualified high school students for the 2016/2017 Lanford Family Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program. The scholarship […]

February 18, 2016

Business

Construction adds 28,000 jobs in January

The U.S. construction industry continued its streak of employment gains in January, adding 28,000 jobs. The industry now employs 6.615 million Americans, the highest total since December 2008’s total of 6.701 million, according to preliminary data from the Labor Department. Construction employment has been on the rise for 10 straight months. The latest data also […]

February 8, 2016

Technology

AI, robotics expected to claim nearly 500,000 construction jobs by 2020

An estimated 5.1 million jobs are expected to be lost in the next five years due to advances in technology, specifically those in artificial intelligence, machine-learning, 3D printing and robotics, according to a report from the World Economic Forum. Of those job losses, construction and extraction are anticipated to account for nearly 10 percent. The […]

January 25, 2016

Workforce

SCE&G working with schools statewide to fill 1,000 construction positions for new reactors

South Carolina Energy & Gas (SCE&G) will hire 1,000 workers over the course of this year as part of a large, ongoing project for two new nuclear reactors. According to a report from the Aiken Standard, SCE&G currently has 3,500 workers employed in Jenkinsville at the company’s VC Summer plant for construction of the reactors. The company […]

January 25, 2016

Dealers

Heavy equipment dealers: trade skills gap costs industry $2.4 billion a year

Construction equipment dealers are reporting significant shortages in getting skilled help, a lack that is directly impacting their bottom line, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation. More than 50 percent of survey respondents said the inability to find qualified workers is both hindering growth and increasing costs. AED says […]

January 21, 2016

Workforce

Aging U.S. workforce carries both benefits and liabilities for construction companies

Many factors have caused older workers to remain on the job longer and the trend is only expected to increase. This change in demographics has several different effects on workplace safety trends. About one-quarter of all workers are expected to be 55 or older by 2022, according to Mitra Toossi, an economist with the Bureau […]

January 20, 2016

Workforce

Construction worker’s $2 million Powerball prize a fortunate accident

A New Mexico construction worker says he nearly walked away from the ticket that has made him $2 million richer following the Jan. 6 Powerball drawing. According to a report from KOAT TV, Jose Sarabia hails from Texas but works in Loving, New Mexico. Deciding to buy a Powerball ticket, he stopped into a Chevron […]

January 14, 2016

Business

Contractors tell AGC worker shortage remains their top concern despite half having already increased base pay

As we reported yesterday, a majority of construction firms in the U.S. are optimistic about 2016 volumes and plan to hire more workers to meet likely increased demand. But their optimism is significantly tempered by two still-lingering factors: a shortage of available workers to hire and the quality of worker they’re seeing walk through their […]

January 12, 2016

Business

Nearly 2/3 of U.S contractors plan to hire in 2016 due to optimism in several markets, AGC study finds

The vast majority of U.S. contractors have voiced a positive outlook for 2016 and are expecting to hire more workers to meet demand, according to a new survey from the Associated General Contractors of America. Receiving responses from 1,580 construction firms across the country, the AGC’s 2016 Construction Outlook Survey found that 71 percent of […]

January 11, 2016

Business

Construction adds 45,000 jobs in December to finish 2015 up 4%

Finishing 2015 with a ninth-consecutive month of employment gains, the U.S. construction industry added 45,000 employees to its workforce in December. The industry now employs 6.538 million Americans, the highest mark since January 2009’s total of 6.567 million, according to preliminary data from the Labor Department. Despite the gains, the industry saw unemployment increase from […]

January 8, 2016

Workforce

Vermeer launches HDD Circuit training program to meet demand for skilled drill operators

A shortage of skilled drill operators is not something Vermeer is taking lying down. Following the announcement of a partnership with its primary competitor, Ditch Witch, to recruit, train and deploy trenchless crews across the U.S., Vermeer has announced what it calls an “intensive” horizontal direction drill operator training program. Dubbed HDD Circuit, the tuition-based, two-week […]

December 9, 2015

Business

Contractors mulling lawsuit against city of New Orleans over local-hiring ordinance

City officials in New Orleans are contending with the ire of both supporters and opponents of a new law in the city that requires contractors on city jobs to hire more local workers. According to a report from The Times-Picayune, the City Council approved the law in October, requiring contractors to “make a good faith […]

December 8, 2015