Based on CMAA’s Body of Knowledge, the Online Professional CM (PCM) Course is a comprehensive, self-paced, eLearning course accessible for three months. This valuable learning opportunity focuses on construction management core competencies and will...
There is some good news and some bad news in the latest outlook for nonresidential construction spending on buildings, according to the latest AIA Consensus Construction Forecast.
First the good news: In spite of stubbornly high long-term interest rates, inflation rates stalled above the Federal Reserve Board’s target, falling consumer confidence scores, disappointing levels of home building activity, rising tariff rates for many inputs to construction, and construction labor shortages exacerbated by restrictive immigration policies, the outlook for the remainder of the year and into 2026 is largely unchanged from where it was at in the beginning of the year.
The bad news: The outlook for spending entering the year was very pessimistic.
The national June 2025 not seasonally adjusted construction unemployment rate was 3.4%, a 0.1% increase from June 2024, according to a state-by-state analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released recently by Associated Builders and Contractors. The analysis found that 18 states had lower estimated construction unemployment rates over the same period, 28 had higher rates and four states had the same rates. All of the states had construction unemployment rates below 10%.
Total construction starts were up 16% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.33 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential building starts improved by 39%, residential starts fell 1%, and nonbuilding starts grew 2% over the month. On a year-to-date basis through June, total construction starts were up 1% from last year. Nonresidential starts were up 6%, residential starts were down 5% and nonbuilding starts were 1% higher over the same period.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently said it has awarded $488.1 million in Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants to 30 projects around the country.
Receiving up to $25 million, the winning projects represent aviation, maritime, rail, road and transit infrastructure, department officials said, and will "improve safety, reduce congestion and spur economic growth."
The AEC industry has been experiencing labor and skill shortage challenges for the past several years. Budget constraints, significant skill gaps (leadership, professional, and technical skills), the rising cost of labor, and an aging and retiring...
False claims investigations were on the rise after the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding rolled out. Now, with a new administration, some of the rules have changed. Firms embarking on public contracts face even larger risks...
Join us for an inside look at 2025 Building Better: Rethinking Leadership in Construction—a new research report uncovering the gaps, challenges, and opportunities in how we develop leaders across the industry. Designed for construction and program...
