In May, estimated not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in 46 states on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors. Three states (Michigan, South Dakota and Vermont) had no change, while only Hawaii increased, rising from 5% in May 2018 to 5.2% in the most recent report.

President Donald Trump issued a new executive order this week meant to "enforce the Buy American Act to the greatest extent permitted by law." The act, created in 1933, generally requires that American-made products be given preference on certain projects that receive federal funding. The president is proposing that materials be considered "of foreign origin" if the cost of the foreign products used in the material is 45% or more of the total cost.

Many contractors and associations have hands-on workshops, career days, the SkillsUSA challenge, etc. These hands-on opportunities rely on a couple of key factors that could help the construction industry recruit new workers: fun and competition. Fun and competition on the jobsite shouldn't replace safe, quality work, but exposing more potential workers to the fun of construction and fueling their competitive side could help generate interest.

Over the past year, “analytics” has become a hot topic in the construction industry. But much of the attention has been on its use by massive firms in mammoth projects. What is not mentioned is that even smaller projects and modestly-sized firms can use analytics to improve operations.

Despite recent reports detailing how investors on a worldwide scale are pouring money into construction technology firms, a new analysis from tech publication Crunchbase Daily shows that the flow of capital to U.S.-based firms may be slowing compared to last year's record numbers. At the halfway point of 2019, funding of U.S. construction tech startups totaled $196.5 million across 44 deals, Crunchbase reported, significantly lower than the $1.27 billion raised by U.S.-based construction startups in the first half of last year.

As any construction professional knows, the key to a successful construction project starts with a strong foundation. If the best effort isn't put in at the beginning of the project, everything built after that is at risk of falling apart. The same principle applies to careers in construction. The first week in a new job is a critical time period that can either provide a solid foundation for future success or set a course for failure.

In the past, disqualifying potential employees based on past criminal convictions was just a routine aspect of the hiring process in workplaces across America. However, with recent “ban the box” legislation limiting - and in some cases outright prohibiting - employers from questioning prospective hires about past criminal convictions, prevailing attitudes toward disqualifying applicants based on past criminal convictions appear to be shifting.

The CISCA Fall Conference is only two months away, and now is the time to book your flight for Nashville and register! Set for Sept. 18-20, 2019, the conference will feature speaker Brent O'Bannon, Gallup-certified Strengths Coach, as well as a Product Showcase and our Annual Business Meeting. Individual members can save by registering early (before August 17)!

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.

Total U.S. housing construction starts declined 0.9% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.253 million units, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Single-family construction rose a solid 3.5%, marking the category’s third improvement in the past four months. But starts in the multifamily segment plunged 9.2% for the month.

Inconsistent paperwork, not knowing who to call or what to do at time of injury, and poor penmanship are workers’ compensation nightmares of the past. What was once an endless trail of paperwork, incorrect information and confusion is now a simple and worry-free telephone service called nurse triage. Nurse triage is a process where a third-party professional interviews an injured employee on the jobsite, typically within minutes of injury.

There is a better way to build your construction business with the people you have. You can get them motivated, all on the same page, and working like a winning team with common goals, drive and excitement. Your job is to discover each employee’s differences, what makes them tick and help them achieve their goals in order for you to reach your business goals.