News

While the Architectural Billings Index had ups and downs this year, it was positive in 8 of 12 months and ended the year on an upswing: the December score was 50.9, up from 49.3 the previous month.

Construction employment is at its highest level since January 2009, and a large majority of firms expect to expand their payrolls in 2016, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Engineering CEOs are feeling increasing confidence in market conditions and their own firms’ future profitability, according to the Engineering Business Index (EBI) compiled by the American Council of Engineering Companies.

Overall construction spending in November 2015 slipped by 0.4 percent from October’s level, but still showed a strong growth of 10.5 compared to November 2014, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

It’s finally done.

Congress has passed a tax extenders package that renews the Section 179D energy-efficient building deduction for two years — 2015 and 2016. (The 2015 renewal applies retroactively to buildings placed into service since the beginning of this year.)

The Architectural Billings Index dropped into negative territory in November, dropping to 49.3 from the October mark of 53.1.

Congress gave itself an extension Friday, passing a five-day continuing resolution that will keep the government open until Dec. 16, when it hopes to pass a package that bundles the year-end spending bill with a host of other provisions.

As their part of the United Nations’ Cop21 climate talks in Paris, the U.S. Green Building Council made a commitment to increase green building it certifies to more than 5 billion square feet (478 million square meters) over the next five years.