News

The Architectural Billings Index showed another positive month in July, and also showed stronger growth in the long-struggling Northeast region.

Construction employment is at its highest level since February 2009, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) — and unemployment among workers with construction experience is at its lowest level in 14 years.

Engineering CEOs continue to remain positive about business prospects for the remainder of 2015, but less sure about prospects for 2016, according to the Engineering Business Index (EBI) compiled by the American Council of Engineering Companies.

On August 5, 2015 Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hatch introduced S. 1946, the 2-year extenders package that was reported out of the Senate Finance Committee on July 21st. The legislative text for the extenders bill can be found here.

June’s construction spending of $1.065 trillion is 12 percent higher than the rate in June 2014, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) — the fastest year-over-year seasonally adjusted increase since 2006.

In June the Architectural Billings Index hit its highest mark since July 2007, driven largely by demand for institutional projects such as new education and healthcare facilities, public safety and government buildings.

Concord is pleased to report that the Senate Finance Committee has taken decisive action to improve the proven value of the Section 179D deduction. Yesterday, July 21st, the Senate Finance Committee held an open executive session to consider a bill to extend certain expired tax provisions. The 52 expired or expiring provisions included for review included the Section 179D deduction (also known as the EPAct deduction as a result of its creation from the Energy Policy Act of 2005).

The Senate and House committees that write tax laws seem to be ready to take up the string of so-called tax extenders — the tax incentives that include Section 179D — that have yet to be renewed for 2015.

While June construction employment kept even with May’s levels, unemployment in the sector fell to its lowest level since 2001, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).