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British construction tech start-up Automated Architecture (AUAR) is sending two of its pop-up, robotic micro-factories to the U.S. for the first time in a move to bring automated and affordable house building to North America. Founded in 2019, AUAR functions by licensing its technology to builders... View full entry
The nationwide demand for labor is dulling, but construction still faces a shortage of workers. Construction counted 363,000 job openings at the end of July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a decrease of 23,000 jobs from June. — Construction Dive
As noted by the chief economist for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Anirban Basu, job openings, across all industries, are at the lowest level since March 2021, and the rate at which workers are quitting their jobs has returned to the pre-pandemic norm. The demand for construction... View full entry
Construction filled more hard hats in October, as the total job openings dropped by 52,000 from a month earlier to 371,000, or 21,000 fewer vacancies than in October 2021, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). — Construction Dive
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. While October's reading is promising, given a looming recession and labor shortages, 4.6% of all construction... View full entry
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) continued to steadily rise in October, with a 9.6% boost to 199.7 from the revised September reading of 182.2. This increase was driven by a 13% and a 2.9% rise in the commercial building and institutional building components, respectively. As detailed by Dodge... View full entry
Damage caused by Hurricane Ian’s massive storm surge, flooding and winds will require skilled workers to help the state of Florida rebuild. Staffing the projects to restore the state is easier said than done. Both Florida and the U.S. as a whole have many job openings and few skilled laborers. As some projects in the state halt, they may free tradespeople for other vital work. — Construction Dive
Figures reported by Construction Dive indicate a cause for concern regarding a lack of skilled workers for the many openings available, which has been magnified in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The disaster, which hit Florida in late September, has resulted in billions of dollars in property damage... View full entry
According to CBRE's new 2022 U.S. Construction Cost Trends report, nationwide industry price levels have posted the largest increase in years, driven by labor shortages, inflation, supply chain disruptions, the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. CBRE forecasts a... View full entry
The Dodge Momentum Index rose 7% in May to 176.2, up from the revised April reading of 165.2. The institutional component of the Index rose 9% and commercial planning rose 6%. May’s increase pushed the level of planning above the most recent cyclical high set in November 2021. Last month... View full entry
The Dodge Momentum Index moved up another 4% in March to 166.9 from the revised February reading of 160.3. Last month, commercial planning rose 7%, while institutional planning fell by less than one percent. Commercial planning in March was just slightly lower than the all-time high set in... View full entry
In February, the Dodge Momentum Index increased 4% to 158.2 from the revised January reading of 151.9, marking a rebound from three consecutive monthly declines that followed a 14-year high in October 2021. Last month, institutional planning rose 9% and commercial planning moved 1% higher. The... View full entry
The Dodge Momentum Index has continued to fall in January, yielding a 7% decline to a four-month low of 152.9 from the revised December reading of 163.7. Commercial planning fell 9% and institutional planning fell 1%. Previously on Archinect: Dodge Momentum Index declines in November, remains near... View full entry
Months of isolation made people rethink the way they wanted to live. That meant their buildings would change. That meant construction, and architects became useful again, after being abandoned. But the craziness of a new era has made all builders and architects simultaneously empowered by their new in-demand status while fully threatened by costs and availability of all the products and people necessary to build. — CT Insider
Earlier in the year, labor and supply chain issues had caused markets in steel and timber to skyrocket, delaying many commercial and residential projects industry-wide, in addition to triggering what some think will be a boom in demand once the pandemic subsides. However bright the prospects are... View full entry
The latest edition of the Dodge Momentum Index indicates a 4% decrease in November from October. Commercial planning fell 8% while institutional planning moved 5% higher. The value of nonresidential building projects continues to move in a sawtooth pattern, in which month-by-month measures... View full entry
Higher prices and longer wait times do not appear to be turning buyers away from the nation’s homebuilders. With demand still surging, homebuilder confidence in the market for single-family homes rose more than expected in November, to the highest level since last May — CNBC
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), builder sentiment in the market for newly-built single-family homes moved three points higher to 83 in November. Readings above 50 indicate that more builders view conditions as good than... View full entry
Workwear brand Carhartt has teamed up with heavy metal band Metallica’s nonprofit All Within My Hands foundation in an effort to attract a new generation of workers in the skilled trades. Carhartt announced that it is donating all online sales made this past Labor Day to the foundation’s... View full entry
The No. 1 business issue for home builders, remodelers, and land developers continues to be access to skilled labor. According to NAHB analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, as of April of this year there were 404,000 open construction sector positions. Not only is this level of unfilled jobs in the construction industry at a post–Great Recession high, the current estimate is the highest ever reading for this data series, which runs back two decades. — Builder
According to Builder, "the intensity of the labor shortage among builders grew more intense during 2018 and 2019." The challenges of this shortage on the construction industry bring higher costs, delays, and lower output on projects. Economist, Robert Dietz, Ph.D. suggests that, "Wage growth... View full entry
