Welcome to our Construction Industry News page, where we bring you the latest updates on mergers and acquisitions, key new hires, and significant industry shifts. Stay informed with breaking news and in-depth reporting to keep up with the fast-paced changes shaping the construction business.

Despite recent gains, planned federal transportation spending cuts in August threaten to undermine sector's "uneven" recovery.

(July 3, 2014) — Construction employers added 6,000 workers to payrolls in June as the industry's unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 percent, its lowest June level in six years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials cautioned, however, that recent employment gains could be undermined when the federal government begins scaling back transportation investments in August.

LAS VEGAS (July 2, 2014) — R&O Construction is giving back in a big way, joining a growing number of businesses that support Las Vegas’ global economic development efforts.

MENLO PARK, Calif. (July 2, 2014) — With pockets of unemployment still at historic levels in some neighborhoods in Silicon Valley, a new software construction management company in North America is partnering with JobTrain, an almost 50-year-old Menlo Park nonprofit with an established track record for teaching job skills and life skills.

Gains in private nonresidential and public construction offset housing dip.

(July 1, 2014) — Total construction spending edged higher for the third straight month in May, as solid increases in private nonresidential and public construction outweighed a downturn in residential projects, according to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

PRINCETON, N.J. (June 30, 2014) — The Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals (ICCIFP) has achieved accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) designation.

A landmark AIA-sponsored study investigates the factors that are preventing the design and construction industry from fully capitalizing on specific healthy building investments.

CHICAGO (June 26, 2014) — The critical connection between a healthy building environment and patient health is often missed by the one group of professionals who may matter most—physicians. This data is part of a new SmartMarket report by McGraw Hill Construction sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), United Technologies Corp. and other partners.

The federal highway program's looming collapse threatens thousands of jobs within the construction industry.

WASHINGTON (June 25, 2014) — The crisis facing the federal highway program threatens to take a massive human and economic toll on the construction equipment industry, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) 2014 Chairman Tim Watters said last week on Capitol Hill.

(June 23, 2014) — KOBELCO Construction Machinery USA, a Houston-based heavy equipment manufacturer, presented a check of nearly $120,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). A long-supporter of the military, KOBELCO was pleased to make this presentation to the WWP in Houston.

Nevada and California claim the largest 12-month gains, while West Virginia and New Jersey show the largest annual declines.

(June 20, 2014) — Construction firms added jobs in 40 states and the District of Columbia during the past 12 months and in 30 states and D.C. between April and May, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) of Labor Department data. Association officials said the employment gains help, but that construction employment remains below peak levels in every state and the District of Columbia, except North Dakota.

DALLAS, Texas (June 19, 2014) — Hanley Wood Exhibitions reports that its recently completed space draw for World of Concrete 2015 secured 875 exhibitors, booking more than 550,000 net square feet of space. With seven months remaining until the show opens, organizers are anticipating significant growth over World of Concrete 2014, the 40th anniversary of the event.

Report ranks California, New York and Texas as the top states for LEED-certified homes.

WASHINGTON (June 19, 2014) — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) now estimates that there are as many as 150,000 LEED-certified green housing units worldwide, a number that more than doubled between 2011 and 2012 and continues to grow steadily, according to the organization’s LEED in Motion: Residential report released today.

Maracanã, South America’s largest stadium and the facility that will host the final World Cup game, is included in the list of structures that have achieved this distinction.

WASHINGTON (June 17, 2014) — With all eyes on the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is proud of the fact that six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification, including South America’s largest stadium, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

FARGO, N.D. (June 13, 2014) — The employees of Bobcat Company and Doosan took part in “Doosan Day of Caring,” a company-wide volunteer effort to celebrate Doosan’s Foundation Day and global volunteer week during the month of June in various Bobcat and Doosan facility locations around the U.S.

The National Construction Association joins Hiring Our Heroes program to give members of the Associated General Contractors of America access to veterans job fairs and other resources designed to make hiring heroes easier.

(June 10, 2014) — The Associated General Contractors of America is joining the national Hiring Our Heroes program as part of the construction industry’s effort to add 100,000 veterans during the next five years. The new partnership will make it easier for construction contractors to find, recruit and hire veterans, association officials said.

Partnership will strengthen support of federal contractor compliance efforts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (June 10, 2014) — BirdDog, a provider of recruitment and applicant tracking solutions (ATS) for the construction and skilled trades industries, has announced a strategic partnership with OutSolve, a national service provider of affirmative action plans and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) compliance solutions.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (June 9, 2014) — After a recession-imposed seven years of dwindling construction job opportunities, things are brightening on the construction front. Chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America (ACG) Ken Simonson reported that the construction industry can expect an uptick of 15 percent in the job outlook for 2014.