It looks as though the optimists won in April. Those predicting that the March slowdown in job growth was just a temporary blip related to the difficult winter weather may have been right—in April, the U.S. economy added a healthy 223,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate dipped to 5.4%. This could be an early sign that the second quarter is reviving after economic growth fell to nearly zero in the first quarter. In April the positives certainly outweighed the negatives. Some of the industries with the strongest gains included professional/business services (up 62,000 jobs), education and health services (up 61,000
Tom Case has been named senior vice president in the civil group for Sundt Construction in Tempe, Ariz. Case, who is also chairman of the Highway & Transportation Division for the Associated General Contractors of America's board of directors, is charged with expanding the firm's portfolio as well as its geographic reach.
Less than 20 years ago, Aztec Engineering, Phoenix, was a disadvantaged business enterprise firm looking to make its mark. Today, the firm is the fifth largest on ENR Southwest's Top Design Firms ranking based on annual revenue. Aztec reported $27.83 million in regional revenue in 2014 and moved up 15 spots on the survey over the previous year, when it logged $14.95 million. The firm also ranks atop the survey's transportation category, with a plethora of projects in Arizona. Related Links: ENR Southwest Top Design Firms Engineering News Record Robert Lemke, CEO of Aztec, says the reason for the firm's
Do green schools make better learning environments? Are green schools healthier for children and teachers? Do green, healthy schools support higher student test scores? Photo by David Patterson Photography, courtesy of RB and B Architects CSU researchers will be comparing student health and performance at schools like Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins to those at others that do not have as many green features. Researchers at Colorado State University plan to find out. Jennifer Cross, a professor of sociology, has received a four-year, $1-million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to analyze the effects of green school
For the past 12 years Wespac Construction Inc. has been organizing the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in central Arizona and the number of people, along with the charitable donations, have been rising ever since the first band took the stage.The festival draws between 16,000 and 18,000 people over the three day period, has raised over $1 million in the past 12 years for local charities and has drawn some of the biggest names in music all while being a self sufficient enterprise.Nate Largay, son of the company’s president, John Largay, and communications director for Wespac Construction, said the company decided
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in March, declined in April. The index now stands at 95.2 (1985=100), down from 101.4 in March. The Present Situation Index decreased from 109.5 last month to 106.8 in April. The Expectations Index declined from 96.0 last month to 87.5 in April. Consumers’ appraisal of current-day conditions continued to soften. Those saying business conditions are “good” edged down from 26.7% to 26.5%. However, those claiming business conditions are “bad” also decreased from 19.4% to 18.2%.Consumers were less favorable in their assessment of the job market. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” declined
Nonresidential construction spending has now declined during each of the year’s first three months, according to a May 1 report by the U.S. Census Bureau. In March, nonresidential construction spending fell 0.1% on a monthly basis, though the pace of spending is still 4.7% higher than at the same time one year ago. Spending for the month totaled $611.8 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis. Spending estimates for both January and February were upwardly revised—the estimate for February construction spending rose from $611.5 billion to $612.4 billion and January's estimate was revised from $611.9 to $613.1.“Up until six months
For the second consecutive month, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) indicated a modest increase in design activity in March. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead-time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the March ABI score was 51.7, up from a mark of 50.4 in February. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.2, up from a reading of 56.6 the previous month.“Business conditions at architecture firms
New construction starts in March retreated 13% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $633.3 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The decline followed strong gains in January (up 9%) and February (up 17%), when construction was lifted by the start of several massive projects valued each in excess of $1 billion, including four liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal projects, a petrochemical plant and a solar power facility. While the March statistics did include the start of a $2.3-billion highway project in Florida, the boost coming from projects in excess of $1 billion was substantially
The Census Bureau released in late March its population estimates for July 2013 to July 2014 for U.S. counties and metro areas. The statistics “suggest a renewed growth in outer suburban ‘exurban’ counties, propelled by domestic migration,” said William Frey of the Brookings Institution on April 8. “The growth is perhaps a sign that the housing market is luring young adults out of the urban core, and it raises the possibility that the attraction of cities—registered for the last three years—may not be as permanent as some assumed,” Frey said. “Using a Brookings classification of counties associated with urban cores
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