In today’s construction news, read about how construction workers continue to be an important part of the American labor force, contributing to economic growth by working in crucial industries. Initiatives to increase the availability of residential housing and support the declining American manufacturing sector are based on their work. Meanwhile, as part of improved mental health services for employees, developer Ryan Cos. will provide naloxone at 100 construction sites and train 2,000 workers on overdose-response tactics, officials revealed on Monday. Finally, the unexpected decline in U.S. construction investment in March is probably due to the pressure that rising mortgage rates are placing on homebuilding, but the severe housing scarcity is still driving the industry. Construction spending decreased by 0.2% on Wednesday, according to the Census Bureau of the Commerce Department. In February, spending was steady. According to Reuters polled economists, construction spending was expected to increase by 0.3%. In March, construction expenditure rose 9.6% on an annual basis. By the end of the summer, the medication—better known by its brand name, Narcan—will also be installed at 17 Ryan corporate buildings located in Minneapolis, according to officials.
Wyoming Has 8.4 Percent of the Nation’s Workers Employed in the Construction Industry
Original Source: The Construction Industry Employs 8.4% of Wyoming Workers, Most in the U.S.
The Great Recession affected the American economy, particularly the property market. The subprime mortgage crisis devalued homes and deterred builders from building new ones from 2007 to 2010. The recession reduced new dwelling construction starts, and its effects are still felt in the construction industry today.
Construction workers are critical to the American workforce, driving economic growth in essential areas despite these challenges. Their work supports attempts to increase housing supply and revive the American manufacturing economy. Construction workers boost the economy by developing houses, buildings, and infrastructure to achieve these aims.
Employment trends in construction
Construction employment remains below pre-Great Recession levels.
More than a decade after the Great Recession, construction employment remains low. Construction jobs dropped after the 2008 housing market meltdown, reaching a 30-year low of 4.15% in January 2011.
Construction employment has increased since then. Construction employment consistently increased, except for the temporary jump during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many construction workers were required and most other workers faced enormous unemployment. In February 2024, 5.17% of jobs were in construction.
Construction Jobs with the Most Workers
The construction workforce is diverse.
This tendency affects construction laborers and trades workers, as well as several professionals that assist, supervise, and employ them. Laborers and specialty contractors make up most construction industry jobs, but general managers (3.3%), construction managers (3.2%), office clerks (3.2%), project managers (2.3%), secretaries and assistants (1.7%), and bookkeepers (1.7%), are also common.
Construction Employment Disparities by Region
Construction provides the most jobs in the Mountain West.
Wyoming (8.4%), Utah (8.2%), Idaho (8.1%), Montana (8.0%), and Nevada (7.4%) rely most on construction jobs. Four significant Mountain West metros rank in the top 10 for construction industry worker concentration.
Some credit the region’s business-friendly tax and regulatory climate and renewed attempt to reshore essential industries for driving manufacturing-related construction. However, tremendous population expansion in the region has also contributed. Residential growth has increased demand for additional homes and infrastructure, fueling construction activity.
Construction Coverage, a website evaluating construction software and insurance, used BLS data for this analysis. The latest Q3 2023 data was used to rank locations by construction industry employment percentage.
Wyoming data summary:
Construction employment: 8.4%
Construction employment concentration (+3.0 pp) from average
Total construction workers: 23,995.
Construction employment grows 5.8% annually.
Here are US-wide statistics:
Construction employment: 5.4%
N/A construction employment concentration compared to average
Total construction workers: 8,298,073.
Construction jobs rose 2.2% year-over-year.
Ryan Will Provide Narcan as More Construction Firms Handle Mental Health
Original Source: Ryan will equip worksites with Narcan as more construction companies address mental health
Officials stated Monday that developer Ryan Cos. will distribute naloxone at 100 construction sites and train 2,000 employees in overdose response as part of improved mental health services.
Officials said Narcan will available in 17 Minneapolis Ryan corporate offices by summer’s end.
A recent U.S. Department of Labor analysis found that construction had one of the highest opioid usage rates. Construction worker overdose deaths climbed ninefold from 2011 to 2018, according to the CDC.
One in three construction workers had soft-tissue injuries such carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and rotator cuff tears, according to the CDC. Three times more opiate painkillers were prescribed to construction workers with such conditions.
“The opioid epidemic has severely impacted the construction industry in recent years, and we realize it’s more important now than ever for our teams to have access to life-saving opioid reversal medication,” John Gaddini, Ryan’s safety head. “Our hope is that employees will never have to administer naloxone but with the training they will receive, they will be ready to act in the event of a life-threatening scenario.”
Ryan launched his statewide naloxone campaign during Mental Health Awareness Month and National Construction Safety Week. Ryan joined the White House Challenge to Save Lives From Overdose in March.
The latest in a series of opioid-related construction sector mortality reduction measures.
In Little Canada, the 3,500-member International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82 (DC 82) and the Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest (FTIUM) began offering mental health and substance abuse services and stocking union halls with Narcan last year to reduce overdose and suicide deaths.
Officials say the St. Paul carpenters union hall is mulling a similar move.
Ryan developed CHS Field in St. Paul and employs 2,000 employees in 17 states and hundreds of subcontractors.
Ryan will train its staff on how to use naloxone in the event of an overdose at work or in the office with the nonprofit Safe Project.
For the first time last year, the FDA approved over-the-counter naloxone. Americans are putting the medicine in first-aid kits in classrooms, colleges, and even workplaces to fight the nationwide epidemic.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, opioid overdose deaths jumped 43% to 1,002 between 2020 and 2022.
US Construction Spending Declines in March
Original Source: US construction spending falls in March
U.S. construction spending unexpectedly dipped in March due to rising mortgage rates, although a severe housing shortage supports activity.
The Commerce Department’s Census Bureau reported Wednesday that construction spending fell 0.2% after being unchanged in February. Reuters economists expected construction spending to rise 0.3%. March construction spending rose 9.6% annually.
Private construction spending fell 0.5% in March after gaining 0.2% in February.
Residential building investment fell 0.7% after rising 0.7% the month before. New single-family construction costs declined 0.2%.
On Tuesday, the Census Department reported 728,000 first-quarter dwelling units for sale, up from 665,000 in 2023. Supply is below 1.145 million pre-COVID-19.
In the first quarter, residential investment expanded at its strongest pace in three years, helping the economy grow 1.6% annually.
Higher borrowing costs are a problem. Freddie Mac said that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate reached 7.17%, a five-month high.
Multifamily housing spending fell 0.6% in March. Nonresidential building spending declined 0.2%, including factories. Hotel, motel, church, and power station spending fell. They more than offset improvements in entertainment, manufacturing, office, and education facilities.
In the first quarter, construction spending fell for the first time in over a year as the Biden administration’s chip manufacturing plans faded.
Public building investment rose 0.8% after decreasing 0.4% in February.
State and local government spending grew 0.6% and federal spending rose 3.6%.
Summary of today’s construction news
In summary, the employment rate in the construction business varies greatly across the nation, but jobs in the field are most prevalent in the Mountain West region, including Wyoming (8.4%), Utah (8.2%), Idaho (8.1%), Montana (8.0%), and Nevada (7.4%). At the metropolitan level, four sizable Mountain West metro areas are among the top 10 for having the highest concentration of workers in the construction industry, demonstrating the validity of this trend.
Meanwhile, In order to ensure that its staff members are proficient in administering the incredibly potent medication naloxone in the case of an overdose at work or in an office, Ryan will collaborate with the organization Safe Project. The Food and Drug Administration initially approved naloxone for non-prescription, over-the-counter use last year.
Finally, the amount spent on power plants, hotels and motels, and churches decreased. Gains in industry, office space, educational facilities, and amusement and recreation facilities were more than offset by them. For the first time in over a year, spending on structures shrank in the first quarter as the benefits of the Biden administration’s initiatives to revive chip manufacturing in the country waned.
