As President Obama’s multibillion-dollar stimulus package becomes law, one thing is clear: thousands of construction workers will be helping to transform the American economy and landscape. Still, employment worries continue to be a source of concern.
"The nearly one million construction workers who have lost their jobs across the country have a renewed chance of success with passage of the stimulus legislation," says Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO, Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va. "The construction investments will help save or create hundreds of thousands of jobs and give tens of thousands of companies an opportunity to survive these tough economic conditions while building a strong foundation for future economic growth." On the downside, he notes cutting $20 billion of needed school construction in the Senate version reduced the number of jobs created or saved by over 340,000.