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Construction Jobs Increase in 38 States Year-Over-Year

William Attardi on April 10, 2026

Construction employment rose in 38 states from January 2025 to January 2026, while 40 states and the District of Columbia added jobs between December and January, according to an analysis of new federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called on policymakers in Washington to provide adequate support for training to enable workers to acquire in-demand skills and to allow qualified workers into the U.S when needed workers are not available. View January 2026 state employment data and 1-month, 12-month rankings.  Association officials noted that the industry has a critical need for electricians and other workers with the skills to construct data centers and power projects. They urged the federal government to direct more funding to career and technical education and workforce training and to offer a pathway to employ needed workers from other countries.   Construction Jobs Increase in 38 States Year-Over-Year – tEDmag

ABC: Construction Employment Rebounds by 26,000 in March

William Attardi on April 3, 2026

The construction industry added 26,000 jobs in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has grown by 57,000 jobs, an increase of 0.7%. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 12,200 positions, with gains in all three subcategories. Nonresidential building added the most jobs, increasing by 4,500 positions. Nonresidential specialty trade and heavy and civil engineering added 3,900 and 3,800 jobs, respectively, in March. The construction unemployment rate was 6.7% in March. Unemployment across all industries dropped to 4.3%, but is still 0.1 percentage points higher than one year ago.  ABC: Construction Employment Rebounds by 26,000 in March – tEDmag

The Distributor Is the Heartbeat of Construction Sales by Jim Nowakowski

William Attardi on March 27, 2026

Manufacturers know what they produce. Engineers know what they specify. Contractors know what they install. But distributors sit at the intersection of all three. The distributors see which products move through their warehouses. They hear the questions contractors ask at the counter. They learn which installations go smoothly and which ones create problems. They understand pricing pressures, availability constraints and the subtle preferences that shape contractor behavior. The Distributor Is the Heartbeat of Construction Sales | Electrical Wholesaling

Meta to Build $10B AI Data Center in Northeast Louisiana

William Attardi on February 23, 2026

A transformational investment that cements the state’s status as a major innovation hub and puts this picturesque rural community on the leading edge of a global digital revolution. Meta projects the data center will support 500 or more direct new jobs in Richland Parish. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates the project will result in the creation of more than 1,000 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 1,500 potential new jobs in the Northeast Region. The company estimates 5,000 construction workers at peak of construction on the 2,250-acre former Franklin Farm megasite that sits between the municipalities of Rayville and Delhi, about 30 miles east of Monroe. Meta to Build $10B AI Data Center in Northeast Louisiana – electrifiED

20 States and D.C. Add Construction Jobs in December

William Attardi on January 29, 2026

Construction employment rose in 34 states and the District of Columbia over the past year, while 20 states and D.C. added jobs between November and December, according to an analysisof new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.  California lost the most construction jobs during the past 12 months (-19,800 jobs, -2.2 percent), followed by New York (-15,700 jobs, -4.1 percent), Washington (-11,600 jobs, -5.2 percent), Nevada (-10,500 jobs, -9.3 percent), and New Jersey (-10,200 jobs, -6.2 percent). The largest percentage loss was in Nevada, followed by New Jersey, Washington, New York, and Vermont (-3.7 percent, -600 jobs).  20 States and D.C. Add Construction Jobs in December – tEDmag

Humanoid Robots in the Construction Industry: A Future Vision

William Attardi on November 21, 2025

General-purpose robots could be useful in a range of construction activities, from moving heavy concrete blocks to welding and plumbing. Although these robots come in various forms, humanoids—those that resemble people in size and shape—attract the most attention. Humanoids are still relatively early in development, but they could potentially transform industries if developers and other stakeholders can overcome technological, regulatory, financial, and operational hurdles. Although humanoids are not yet a fixture at construction sites, they represent a potentially transformative solution to the productivity crisis. Their power comes from embodied AI, a technology that enables real-time decision-making. Rather than waiting for full-scale deployment to become a reality, forward-looking construction leaders should begin preparing now for a future in which humanoids and humans work together.Those who prepare now will be best positioned to seize the opportunities ahead. Humanoid robots involved in multiple4 construction sites at: Humanoid robots in the construction industry | McKinsey

Commercial Construction Soars in September

William Attardi on November 1, 2025

Total construction starts were up +3.1% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.26 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential building starts rose by +11.9%, residential starts improved +3.6%, and nonbuilding starts fell -6.2% over the month. On a year-to-date basis through September, total construction starts were up +3.5% from last year. Nonresidential starts were up +5%, residential starts were down -4.2% and nonbuilding starts were +10.8% higher over the same period. For the 12 months ending Sept. 2025, total construction starts were up +6.7% from the 12 months ending Sept. 2024. Residential starts were down -1.4%, nonresidential starts increased 6.8%, and nonbuilding starts were up +16.7% over the same period.  Commercial Construction Soars in September | Electrical Wholesaling

Teching Up: The Future Is Here, and a Technologist Can Help You Embrace It by Jared Christman

William Attardi on October 15, 2025

Without someone on your team to evaluate, pilot and implement new software tools in real world conditions, you risk trading money for more confusion. Enter the construction technologist, a role rapidly moving from luxury to necessity in today’s fast-paced electrical contracting industry. Enter the construction technologist, a role rapidly moving from luxury to necessity in today’s fast-paced electrical contracting industry. Technologists help contractors navigate the sea of innovations, avoid costly missteps and align technology adoption with actual workflows on-site and in the office. There are several ways a technologist can contribute to your work.

  • Tech scouting and filtering
  • Process mapping
  • Champion identification
  • Testing and return on investment evaluation
  • Implementation and training

Teching Up: The future is here, and a technologist can help you embrace it | Jared Christman – Electrical Contractor Magazine

 

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto: Integrating Robots and Reality Capture by Jared Christman

William Attardi on August 8, 2025

 Integration of robotics into reality capture has arrived in the construction industry. You can see it on projects where it is either walking on four legs or rolling around printing layout. Robotics is the next step in the construction technology revolution—SLAM and deck printing are a couple examples out there today. Take the robot called “Spot.” The Waltham, Mass.-based company has teamed up with Trimble, Westminster, Colo., to introduce the quadruped robot. Outfitted with a LiDAR scanner, Spot uses SLAM to autonomously navigate active job sites, capturing 3D data while avoiding obstacles in real time. According to reporting by Geo Week News, several contractors are using Spot for routine site documentation, progress tracking and as-built verification. This in turn is freeing up field staff for higher-value tasks. On a large social media tech campus project, Spot reduced manual photo documentation time by 60% and flagged several floor boxes that were misplaced compared to the model before slab pour, saving thousands in rework. Then there’s SitePrint by HP, Palo Alto, Calif. SitePrint is a robotic layout printer that uses SLAM to align with digital models and contract documents that accurately prints layout directly on the deck. Electrical contractors have begun using it for conduit paths, box locations, layout points and wall stub-outs. By combining SLAM-enabled robotics with BIM data, electrical contractors are simplifying the jump from design to field layout. Rather than replacing skilled labor, this technology streamlines it, which in turn frees up electricians to focus on running crews, installation, quality control and high-value tasks.  Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto: Integrating Robots and Reality Capture – Electrical Contractor Magazine

Data Center Construction Continues to Grow by Tom Zind

William Attardi on July 7, 2025

How do you paint a rosy picture for a construction market sector that’s been in the dumps and shows scant signs of a quick change of fortune? There’s one way: Stretch the definition, and throw in a category that’s come so far so fast that standard market indices haven’t been able to catch up. That’s what FMI Corp., does in the second-quarter installment of its 2025 North American Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook Reasonably, it lumps data centers into the office component of its non-residential construction analysis, yielding a bullish four-year forecast for the sector that beats nine of 10 others. Citing forecasts of data center demand growing 34% in 2025 and 18% next year, FMI sees office construction growing every year between 2026 and 2029 at an average of about 7% annually. Data centers may be the office of the future, housing the infrastructure enabling higher productivity that could be a driving force for the economy for decades to come. Data Center Construction Continues to Grow | EC&M

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.