flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Construction jobs made gains in 2012, even with a slow Q4, says Gilbane report

Construction jobs made gains in 2012, even with a slow Q4, says Gilbane report

The construction sector in the nine states with 50% of construction employment was up 169,000 jobs from February to September 2012, following a lost of 137,000 jobs from September 2011 to January 2012.


By Posted by BD+C Staff | January 2, 2013
This article first appeared in the January 2013 issue of BD+C.

The construction sector in the nine states with 50% of construction employment was up 169,000 jobs from February to September 2012, following a lost of 137,000 jobs from September 2011 to January 2012.

That’s one of the key findings of “Construction Economics: Market Conditions in Construction” (November 2012), by Gilbane Building Co., Providence, R.I. The construction management giant found several others reasons to report that construction growth was looking up:

  • Construction spending for nonresidential buildings should be up 4.9% in 2012 over 2011, to $297 billion. Residential should be up 12% YOY, putting total building construction ahead 8% for the year.
  • Construction starts are increasing at a slow but upward rate, while backlog duration is also increasing. As a result, contractors are feeling somewhat more comfortable passing along material cost increases.
  • Overall construction spending for 2013 should be up another 4.9%, with residential building dollars up 11%.
  • Top sectors: healthcare and education, accounting for 40% of nonresidential building spending.

The Gilbane report drops the other shoe with several negative findings. For one, publicly funded work will likely be down in 2013 due to the paucity of bond issues passed in the November election period: about $30 billion, compared to more than $60 billion in 2008.

Moreover, spending on public construction has declined 5% YOY and was expected to finish 2012 12% below the 2009 peak. The Gilbane report forecasts a further drop in public construction in 2013, for the fourth consecutive year.

And while there has been some recent hiring, the construction workforce has lost 2.25 million, or 29%, in recent years. “It will be many years before the entire workforce grows back to its previous level,” the Gilbane report says.

More info: info.gilbaneco.com/Portals/160261/docs/economicreportwinter2012.pdf. +

Related Stories

Market Data | Dec 20, 2017

Architecture billings upturn shows broad strength

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 55.0, up from a score of 51.7 in the previous month.

Public Health Labs | Dec 19, 2017

10 takeaways from SmithGroup’s ‘lab of the future’ initiative

The LAB2050 initiative digs into the scientific trends, technologies, and economics that will shape tomorrow’s research laboratory environments.

Office Buildings | Dec 19, 2017

How do we measure human performance, and what does it mean for the workplace?

There are many new tools and methods that are beginning to look more comprehensively to evaluate organizational well-being.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 18, 2017

Canada’s newest funicular makes Edmonton’s largest green space more accessible

The incline elevator is located in downtown Edmonton and was publicly funded.

Sponsored | Building Team | Dec 12, 2017

3 tips to address the top causes of budget overruns

The most cited issues are communication breakdowns, inadequate fees for the work provided, and unrealistic deadlines or schedules.

Multifamily Housing | Dec 12, 2017

Call for technical experts: Dog wash station design

The editors of Multifamily Design + Construction magazine need your expertise.

Government Buildings | Dec 11, 2017

Is this the world’s most humane prison?

The C.F. Møller-designed prison’s architecture supports the inmates’ and staff’s mental and physical well-being.

Architects | Dec 7, 2017

Snow Kreilich Architects receives the 2018 AIA Architecture Firm Award

Julie Snow, FAIA, founded the firm in Minneapolis in 1995, and later was joined by partner Matt Kreilich, AIA.

Architects | Dec 7, 2017

2018 AIA Gold Medal awarded to James Stewart Polshek

In 1963 Polshek started his first architecture firm, James Stewart Polshek Architect.

Architects | Dec 4, 2017

Architects to Congress: ‘You're making a terrible mistake’

House and Senate gut historic building credits and penalize architecture firms.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021