Construction's unemployment rate continued downward in May, its third-straight monthly improvement, despite a loss of 35,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In its latest monthly employment report, released on June 4, BLS said construction's May jobless rate dipped to 20.1%, from April's 21.8%. But the rate for last month still exceeded the May 2009 mark of 19.2%. Ken Simonson, Associated General Contractors' chief economist, noted that it was the worst May rate for construction since 1976, when BLS began that statistical series. Moreover, construction's 21.8% rate remains the highest among industry sectors and is well above the second-worst
The fiscal year starting July 1 will be another tough one for states, with more spending cuts expected, says a new survey by the National Governors Association and National Association of State Budget Officers. Photo: National Governors Association NGA's Scheppach (left) and budget officers' Pattison discuss states dire fiscal picture. The groups' latest biannual “Fiscal Survey of the States,” released June 3, says that for fiscal 2010, which ends for 46 states on June 30, their total general-fund expenditures will be down by an estimated 6.8%, to $612.9 billion. For 2011, governors’ proposed budgets are forecasting a 3.6% pickup in
Funding to help Haiti recover and rebuild from the Jan. 12 earthquake moved through the Senate but slowed down in the House. The Senate on May 27 passed a spending bill with $2.8 billion for Haiti, including $438 million for infrastructure. House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) included $2.8 billion for Haiti in a draft spending bill, but he postponed a committee vote until after the Memorial Day recess.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s $8 billion for high-speed rail (HSR) has begun to flow to states. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation said on May 27 it had disbursed the first $79.6 million of the ARRA aid. With $7.9 billion still to go, further installments will be released in coming weeks. DOT announced on Jan. 28 which states won shares of the $8 billion but had to reach grant agreements before disbursing the money. Florida receives $66.6 million for program management and preliminary engineering for a Tampa-Orlando line. California gets $6.2 million to relocate tracks between San Francisco and
A $112-billion tax package that the House approved on May 28 is a mixed bag for the design and construction industry. Construction groups like some of the provisions, including an extension for the popular Build America Bonds program. But some of the bill’s revenue-raising tax hikes drew strong criticism from architects, engineers, contractors and real estate interests. The Senate has the next move. If that chamber amends the measure, it would return to the House, says Karen Lapsevic, Associated General Contractors’ director for tax, fiscal affairs and infrastructure finance. “So there might be a couple of more votes on this
The U.S. Dept. of Energy has proposed a rule that would require new and renovated federal buildings to incorporate sustainable design, siting and construction methods. The proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 28, would implement provisions of 2005 and 2007 energy laws and President Obama’s Oct. 5, 2009, executive order requiring agencies to develop plans to improve federal buildings’ energy efficiency. Comments on the DOE proposal are due on July 27. Emma Cheuse, an Earthjustice attorney, calls the proposal a “positive step” but hopes DOE goes further. She says additional moves could include aligning efficiency targets with current
More than four months after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, Congress is stepping up efforts to provide funds for disaster relief and start rebuilding the country. Lawmakers also are insisting on specific goals and timetables for achieving those reconstruction targets. Photo: fadedyouthblog.com Actor-activist Penn, shown here in Haiti, urged the U.S. to “stay the course.” Related Links: Q&A With Haitian-American Architect- Engineer Yves François U. of Buffalo Seismic Seminar Aimed at Haitian Engineers VIDEO: Habitat for Humanity Experiments VIDEO: Life at the Epicenter of Haitian Quake Rebuilding Haiti Haiti funding hasn’t been enacted yet; congressional action on that front has
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has expanded the list of organizations whose crane-operator certification programs it formally recognizes, with an agreement with the National Center for Construction Education and Research, Gainesville, Fla. Related Links: Ten Minutes With OSHA Chief David Michaels OSHA chief David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, and NCCER President Don Whyte signed the voluntary agreement on May 17 at the Dept. of Labor headquarters in Washington. In March, OSHA finalized a similar agreement with The Crane Institute of America Certification Inc. OSHA's first such crane-operator program agreement came in 1999, with
Construction safety, including safety of crane operations, is a priority for David Michaels, the chief of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Michaels, who became assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health last December, signed a voluntary agreement on May 17 with the National Center for Construction Education and Research, for crane-operator certification--the fourth such program to receive formal OSHA recognition since 1999. Before moving to the top OSHA post, Michaels was professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University¹s School of Public Health and Health Services. Earlier, he was the Dept. of Energy's assistant
The Environmental Protection Agency on May 12 released a strategy for restoring the Chesapeake Bay that includes developing a tough, new total maximum daily load (TMDL) for pollutants. EPA says the TMDL, with a Dec. 31 deadline, will be the most complex ever, affecting 483 large treatment plants and thousands of smaller facilities. The plan requires federal agencies to set milestones every two years to ensure measurable environmental goals are met. On May 11, EPA announced a settlement of a 2009 lawsuit filed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The agreement sets dates by which EPA must take certain actions, such
