By some estimates, more than half of businesses entering the construction industry will be woman- or minority-owned by 2020, yet fewer than 9 percent of those working in the U.S. construction industry are women. In 2013, only 12 percent of employed engineers were underrepresented minorities, despite being more than 30 percent of the U.S. population.

Results from the Q1 2019 USG Corporation + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (Index) indicate the labor shortage continues to pose major challenges to the industry, causing firms to ask skilled workers to do more work (81 percent), struggle to meet deadlines (70 percent), increase costs for new work (63 percent) and reject new projects (40 percent). As the industry fights to solve the labor shortage, the latest survey suggests a contributing factor could be negative perceptions of construction careers by young workers, leading to fewer workers seeking to enter the industry.

A Volvo Construction Equipment survey of 205 U.S. and U.K. construction workers found that 31 percent of respondents were fearful that artificial intelligence and robotics would replace them on jobsites. While that is a common conception about the technology, an even larger chunk, 46 percent, was concerned about percieved safety risks invovled with that kind of machinery. 

U.S. construction spending increased for a third straight month in February, with stable private investments and leaping public spending. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast construction spending falling 0.2 percent in February, but the total value of all U.S. construction put in place rose 1 percent during the month, according to monthly estimates by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The construction industry continues to witness the creation of joint ventures among contractors of all sizes, and for a variety of reasons. Companies may wish to share the risk on a project, secure additional bonding capacity or enter a new market segment with a more experienced contractor, as well as offer additional resources, including working capital and other trades needed for a project. However, many risks need to be addressed prior to officially forming a joint venture.

Dennis Engelbrecht, a senior consultant at The Family Business Institute, part of The Travelers Cos. family, framed his recommendations at the Associated General Contractors of America’s convention this week in a much more positive light by setting out the top 10 reasons contractors achieve success and can continue to do so. These were the characteristics that the institute's top rung of clients, marked by growth and profitability, had in common, according to the business management consulting firm.

Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1858/S. 907), which prevents federal agencies and recipients of federal funding from requiring contractors to sign project labor agreements as a condition of winning federal or federally assisted construction contracts. Associated Builders and Contractors strongly supports the “common-sense” legislation, calling it a “win-win for taxpayers and the U.S. economy because it creates an inclusive policy allowing all Americans and all qualified companies to fairly compete to rebuild America’s infrastructure.” 

Construction is an engine that powers the U.S. economy. Across the country, large-scale projects are shaping our communities by enabling industry, improving transit and meeting changing demand for commercial space and housing. Construction Dive is introducing a project tracker — an interactive tool to engage with some of the top projects underway spanning mixed-use, commercial, infrastructure and many more categories. 

When long term care is needed, there are only a few options available to pay for those types of expenses. Genworth Life Insurance Company and CISCA are working together to provide members with access to long term care insurance protection.

For the second podcast in Commercial Architecture's year-long coverage of acoustics science and technology in commercial structures, host Gary Parr welcomes acoustics expert, Gary Madaras, PhD, ASA, INCE,  Assoc. AIA, and acoustics specialist at Rockfon, Chicago; and Shirley Wodynski, executive director of the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA), Oak Brook, Illinois (cisca.org).

Construction executives wear many hats because they play many roles—chief among them as advocates and adopters of new technology. That particular hat may be symbolic, but its symbolism is anything but ceremonial. Construction executives need to know what technology makes construction more efficient, less expensive and safer.

California legislators are considering a new test for contractors to use when deciding if construction workers qualify as independent contractors, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, making the misclassification of workers more difficult. The proposed state law would require employers to use the "ABC" method of determining whether a worker is a legitimate independent contractor or an employee.