Construction's stubbornly high unemployment rate bounced upward in July to 18.2%, from 17.4% in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The industry's jobless rate last month also was well above the 8.0% level posted in July 2008. Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics Release In its latest monthly employment report, released Aug. 7, BLS said construction lost another 76,000 jobs in July, adjusted for seasonal variations, compared with average losses of 73,000 over the past three months. The industry has shed more than 1.3 million jobs since the recession began. BLS's report also showed a continued large gap between
Robert A. Peck is coming back to the General Services Administration as the commissioner of the agency's Public Buildings Service, GSA announced on Aug. 10. Peck, who calls the public-buildings position "the best job in real estate," served as PBS commissioner during the Clinton administration, from December 1995 until January 20, 2001. Photo: Jones Lang LaSalle Peck was PBS commissioner from 1995 until January 2001. Related Links: New GSA Contracts Starting To Surge GSA Mulls Modest Change in Design Program It is certainly one of the biggest real-estate jobs in the country. PBS oversees design, construction, leasing, management and security
Fixing a looming problem in the Highway Trust Fund--at least for now--President Obama has signed legislation providing a $7-billion infusion for the trust fund's highway account. The additional money, which will be transferred from the general fund, is expected to keep the account solvent through Sept. 30 or perhaps a bit longer. Related Links: After 'Fix,' Trust Fund Still Not Out of the Woods Obama signed the measure on Aug. 7, the day the Senate began a four-week recess. The House's break began on July 31. When lawmakers return after Labor Day, debate is expected to heat up over how
The Senate has confirmed Jo-Ellen Darcy, a veteran Senate aide, to be assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, the top Pentagon official overseeing the Corps of Engineers' non-military programs. Related Links: Georgia Slapped by Court In Tristate Water Dispute Darcy and more than 40 other nominees for various federal posts were confirmed by voice vote on Aug. 7, shortly before the Senate recessed for its August break. Her nomination went to the Senate April 2 and was cleared by the Armed Services Committee May 6. Darcy's nomination then was referred to the Environment and Public Works Committee, which
The U.S. Army has named a new commander for the Corps of Engineers’ Gulf Region Division, headquartered in Baghdad. Brig. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, who heads the Corps’ Southwestern Division, will succeed Maj. Gen. Michael R. Eyre, who has led the Gulf Division since October 2008. Moving to the Dallas-based Southwestern Division is Brig. Gen. John R. McMahon, director, J-7, Engineering for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on July 30 approved a measure that would create a new $700-million school-renovation program. The provision, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), is part of a $730-billion fiscal 2010 spending bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education departments. The measure would direct the Education Dept. to distribute grants to states to build or renovate public elementary and secondary schools. Priority would go to projects in areas that have high percentages of disadvantaged children or that plan to use green construction practices. The Labor-HHS-Education bill that the House passed on July 24 does not
The faltering Highway Trust Fund has won a reprieve, with final congressional approval July 30 of a $7-billion infusion from the general fund. It is the second bailout for the fund in less than a year. But the relief only will keep the trust fund’s highway account solvent through Sept. 30 or perhaps a little beyond. After lawmakers return from their August break, they quickly must find still more money to shore up the fund past that date. Oberstar pushing a six-year bill. The short-term fix “will at least get us through the August recess and make sure that contractors
The Dept. of Energy has asked USEC Inc. to withdraw its application for a loan guarantee to build an advanced-technology uranium- enrichment plant at the site of a former enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio. However, DOE will give USEC the chance to reapply at a later date. The agency says it plans to defer review of the application until a series of specific technology and financial milestones have been met. USEC says it is committed to developing the plant. DOE also says it will spend an additional $150 million to $200 million to accelerate cleanup at the former uranium-enrichment plant
As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approaches its sixth month on the books, the General Services Administration’s $5.5-billion ARRA-funded program to build or upgrade scores of federal buildings suddenly has begun to take off. But critics continue to complain that other agencies are not turning their construction stimulus money into jobs-producing contracts fast enough. Photo: Grunley Construction Co. Commerce Dept. job tops list. After taking about six weeks just to produce its list of stimulus projects, GSA has shifted into overdrive. It has awarded contracts totaling nearly $1.1 billion for projects involving about 120 buildings. Twenty of those projects
With the Highway Trust Fund facing a shortfall within weeks, Congress has approved a $7-billion infusion for the fund's highway account, a move that backers of the legislation say will be enough to keep the account solvent through Sept. 30. Photo: Granite Construction Stopgap measure will fund project such as this new bridge in Key Largo, Fla. Related Links: Highway Trust Fund Fight is Heading Down to the Wire Downward Travel Trend Raises Highway Trust Fund Worries Other ENR Highway Trust Fund Stories The new money will be transferred from the general fund. Final Congressional action on the short-term trust-fund
