Association Officials Urge Congress to Finish Work on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Boost Demand for Nonresidential Construction and Fund Career and Technical Education Programs to Add to Worker Supply

Eighty-Nine Percent of Contractors Are Having a Hard Time Finding Craft Workers, While 88 Percent of Firms Are Experiencing Project Delays and 93 Percent Are Affected by Rising Materials Prices

Construction Officials Note Spending Figures Foreshadow New Data the Association is Releasing Tomorrow Shoring the Ongoing Impacts of the Coronavirus on the Construction Workforce and Demand

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett and Waterbury, Conn. Top Lists of Metros with Year-over-Year Employment Gains; Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J., Evansville, Ind.-Ky. Lose the Most

Construction employment in July remained below the levels reached before the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020 in 36 states, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials said construction employment would benefit from new federal infrastructure investments and urged the House to quickly pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Extreme price increases continued in July for a wide range of goods and services used in construction, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials urged President Biden to immediately end tariffs and quotas on steel, aluminum, lumber and other essential construction items to help stave off inflationary pressure in the construction industry.

The construction industry added 11,000 jobs between June and July but nonresidential construction employment remains far below pre-pandemic levels, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said nonresidential construction has been affected by declining demand for projects, particularly for public infrastructure work, and urged Congress to quickly pass the new bipartisan infrastructure measure.

Demand for different types of construction continued to diverge in June as residential construction increased for the month and the year while nonresidential construction spending fell again, according to a new analysis of federal construction spending data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Officials noted the nonresidential declines include a steep drop in spending on highway and street projects and urged Congress to quickly pass a new, bipartisan infrastructure measure.

Construction employment declined or stagnated in 101 metro areas between February 2020, the last month before the pandemic, and last month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials said that labor shortages and supply chain problems were keeping many firms from adding workers in many parts of the country.

Construction employment in June remained below the levels reached before the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020 in 39 states, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials noted that many construction firms are struggling to cope with supply chain challenges and rising materials prices, which is undermining demand for new projects and impacting firms’ ability to hire new workers.