Construction employment declined in 99 out of 358 metro areas from March 2019 to last month as the coronavirus pandemic triggered the first shutdown orders and project cancellations, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America recently. Association officials urged federal and state officials to boost investments in infrastructure to help put more people to work amid rising unemployment levels.

A large share of construction firms promptly received loan funds under the new Paycheck Protection Program, enabling many of them to hire or retain employees despite a surge in project cancellations, according to a survey released recently by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the job-saving measure appeared to be working but cautioned that longer term recovery measures, like new infrastructure funding and establishing a recovery fund, are needed.

As news of the coronavirus impact continues to unfold, this page will serve as a way to track projects or cities that have halted construction due to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak is disrupting supply chains and affecting production and sales across a range of industries. The extent of the impact on an organization’s operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak, impact on customers, employees and vendors, and governmental, regulatory and private sector responses. Businesses are approaching the safety of their personnel and customers in a variety of ways, but the large majority have a significantly reduced physical presence in their offices.

In the span of two months, the coronavirus crisis has demanded sweeping changes from the U.S. construction industry, and experts say many of them will remain in place even after the outbreak recedes.

Skanska CEO Anders Danielsson has reported that 370 of the company's projects have been affected so far by government shutdowns, supply chain disruptions and lowered demand from clients. These delays, he said, "will impact us negatively for some time ahead."

The construction industry, like others, did not fare so well during and immediately after the recession nearly a decade ago. The good news, though, is that since 2011, the number of production workers in the United States construction industry has continued to increase year after year.

The construction industry has taken a hit thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and the outlook continues to trend negative for the second half of 2020; plus more construction industry news on the April 30, 2020 edition of Construction News Tracker.

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Hilti North America, an innovator of tools, technology, software and services to the commercial construction industry, has outlined three key areas of focus to help customers plan for recovery from COVID-19: supply, safety and speed. Hilti has resources to support professional contractors as they look to move forward and resume operations safely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video message, Martina McIsaac, CEO of Hilti North America, describes the company’s support of these three priorities to help customers navigate a safe transition.