Construction Employment at Highest Level since January 2009 As Most Firms Predict They Will Add Workers in 2016, Expect Most Market Segments to Expand Construction firms added 45,000 workers in December as the industry’s unemployment rate declined to 7.5 percent from 8.3 a year ago, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.

The Associated General Contractors of America received applications from exceptional Student Chapters across the country. Each of the Student Chapters demonstrated a strong portfolio showing dedication to their community and public service projects. Three applications in particular stood out from the others and AGC of America is happy to announce the first, second and third place winners of the 2015 AGC Outstanding Student Chapter Contest: First Place: Iowa State University, AGC Student Chapter Second Place: Oregon State University Associated General Contractors Third Place: California State University, Chico AGC Student Chapter

Everyone related to the construction process has incentive to get the project done faster and at a lower cost – from the project owners who want to see tangible results for their investment to the contractors and designers who want to do their job well and move on to the next project. Lean Construction is based on the holistic pursuit of continuous improvements aimed at minimizing costs and maximizing value on a construction project: planning, design, construction, activation, operations, maintenance, salvaging, and recycling.

AGCA has revamped our social media accounts adding a new student chapter Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AGCAStudentChapters/ and twitter account at @AGCA_Students. Please make sure you like, follow and share to spread the word! We hope you utilize these tools to see and share the amazing community service, projects and experiences that students are gaining from being a part of the AGC community!

The Business Development Forum Steering Committee continues to bring more BD resources and best practices to the AGC membership. A new section has been added to the Business Development Forum webpage titled Business Development Best Practices. The goal is to continue to develop this section of the website so it is your one stop for information regarding all things Business Development.

Health insurance costs continue to increase. Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance efforts are heating up. As you begin planning for your company’s 2016 health insurance renewal and want to explore ways to save money and give employees more flexibility, control and value, now is the time to explore options for building a better, more cost-effective employee benefits package that meets the compliance requirements of the ACA.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET) | Tues., February 23, 2016 Are you struggling to implement Lean on your projects? Have you had planning sessions that were not as productive as they could be? Do your teams just not "get it"? Join this webinar to learn from the experience Lean Construction coach, Dave MacNeel who has not only delivered numerous projects using Lean, but also has coached Owners, GCs, CMs, designers, and subcontractors to successfully implement Lean thinking and Lean tools. Register here.

As has been the case a few times already this year, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dipped in November. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending.

There have been increasing levels of demand for design services for nearly all construction project types for the majority of the year as revealed in the Architecture Billings Index (ABI). As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the October ABI score was 53.1, down slightly from the mark of 53.7 in the previous month. This score still reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, down from a reading of 61.0 the previous month. Click here to read more.

The Business Development Forum Steering Committee continues to bring more BD resources and best practices to the AGC membership. A new section has been added to the Business Development Forum webpage titled Business Development Best Practices. The goal is to continue to develop this section of the website so it is your one stop for information regarding all things Business Development.