Total construction spending was flat between July and August, as a decrease in nonresidential projects offset continuing gains in residential construction, according to a new analysis of federal construction spending data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Officials urged the House of Representatives to promptly approve the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed in the Senate earlier this year, noting that spending on infrastructure in the first eight months of 2021 declined from year-earlier levels.

The US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division published a new resource for stakeholders in the construction contracting community: the Davis-Bacon Wage Determination Conformance Request Guide. The guide details the information and construction types contained in wage determinations and provides additional clarity regarding the limited circumstances in which contractors and contracting agencies may need to request a new class of laborer or mechanic be added to a published wage determination for a specific contract. For 乌鸦传媒 DBRA resources, visit 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 Labor & HR Topical Resources library and select 鈥淲ages and Benefits鈥 as the main category and 鈥淒avis-Bacon Act鈥 as the subcategory. You must be logged in as an 乌鸦传媒 member to access the materials.

乌鸦传媒 continues to wait for more information from OSHA on an emergency temporary standard (ETS) expected to require employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested for infection on least a weekly basis. There is little clarity as to exactly when agency will formally issue this ETS testing mandate or when it will take effect. 乌鸦传媒 has also retained outside legal counsel鈥攁nd is asking some of the brightest legal minds within the industry鈥攖o help it review its legal options. Previously, 乌鸦传媒 conveyed its serious reservations about such an ETS. The association and its members have encouraged voluntary COVID-19 vaccination for their employees since the vaccines became available. The construction industry has proven throughout the pandemic that it can work in a safe and essential manner. OSHA has previously deemed many construction activities as low exposure risks.

Linbeck Group was honored for having the nation鈥檚 best construction safety and wellness plan in 2020 by the Associated General Contractors of America. The association, which oversees the Willis Towers Watson Construction Safety Excellence Awards, an annual ranking of construction safety programs, noted that 43 other companies were also selected as winners for the quality of their safety programs.

Nearly one-third of U.S. metro areas lost construction jobs between August 2020 and August 2021, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials noted that the job losses are occurring as the fate of a bipartisan infrastructure bill that would boost demand for construction remains uncertain in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division published a new resource for stakeholders in the construction contracting community: the Davis-Bacon Wage Determination Conformance Request Guide.

乌鸦传媒 has posted the fifth edition of the Construction Inflation Alert, a document to help owners, officials, 乌鸦传媒 chapters, and others understand what contractors are experiencing regarding materials costs, production lead times, and supply-chain bottlenecks.

Plans to Issue New Heat Standard

Guidance Expected as soon as September 24