Despite a series of recent reports that the U.S. economy finally seems to be on firm ground and trending upward, the 2014 outlook for the construction sector remains mixed and riddled with questions.
An early December report from the U.S. Labor Dept. showed that the nation's gross domestic product rose 3.6% in the third quarter, unemployment dropped to 7%—the lowest point in five years—and the country created 203,000 jobs in November. The growth in GDP was well above the 2.8% increase that had been anticipated by analysts.