On this episode of ConstructorCast, two of the nation’s leading construction economists, Michael Guckes of ConstructConnect and AGC's own Ken Simonson will discuss where the economy is headed, construction categories they think will do particularly well, and share their insights on top issues including supply chains and inventories, finding qualified workers, and materials costs.

Construction companies added 20,000 employees in November and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more steeply than other sectors as the industry’s unemployment rate tumbled, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials said the data shows that firms would have added significantly more workers if they could find more people to hire.

A measure of construction contractors’ bid prices moved sharply higher in October as firms coped with ongoing supply-chain challenges and a tight labor market, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said rising construction costs threatens to undermine demand for projects and urged administration officials to remove remaining tariffs on construction materials and to boost investments in construction-focused education and training.