In August, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized a rule to determine the wages paid on federal projects. It’s expected to increase the pay for hundreds of thousands of workers.
The cost of many products used in construction climbed 7.4 percent over the past year due to double-digit increases in commonly used construction materials, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between August 2017 and August 2018, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
Construction spending declined 1.1 percent in June from an upwardly revised record level in May, but there were widespread gains in both public and private investment for the first half of the year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
Construction employment increased by 13,000 jobs in June and by 282,000 jobs over the past year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.