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Construction Firms Add 11,000 Jobs in June

Construction firms added 11,000 jobs in June and 64,000 over 12 months, as pay for craft workers climbed faster than for production workers overall, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials cautioned, however, that future construction job gains are at risk unless Congress acts quickly to pass new highway and transit legislation before the current law expires on Sept. 30. Construction employment totaled 8,331,000 in June, seasonally adjusted, an increase of 11,000 from May. Over the past 12 months, the industry has added 64,000 jobs, an increase of 0.8 percent, outpacing the 0.3 percent increase in total nonfarm payroll employment. Gains in the industry were concentrated in nonresidential construction, with the steepest growth rate occurring in heavy and civil engineering construction, the sector that employs many highway and transit construction workers. Nonresidential firms added 19,900 employees in June and 113,400 positions or 2.3 percent over the past 12 months. Construction Firms Add 11,000 Jobs in June – tEDmag

April 2026 ISM®Manufacturing PMI® Report

The report was issued today by Susan Spence, MBA, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in April for the fourth consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report. “The Manufacturing PMI® registered 52.7% in April, the same reading as March. The overall economy continued in expansion for the 18th month in a row. (A Manufacturing PMI® above 47.5%, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.) The Employment Index registered 46.4%, down 2.3 percentage points from March’s figure of 48.7%,” says Spence.  April

Construction Jobs Increase in 38 States Year-Over-Year

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-month12-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

ADP: Private Sector Employment, Pay Increased in March

Private sector employment increased by 62,000 jobs in March and pay was up 4.5 percent year-over-year according to the March ADP National Employment Report® produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab (“Stanford Lab”). For additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including historical files, employment and pay data, methodology, and a calendar of release dates, please visit https://adpemploymentreport.com/ADP: Private Sector Employment, Pay Increased in March

ABC: Construction Employment Rebounds by 26,000 in March

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

Walmart CEO Issues Wake-Up Call on AI

Walmart executives aren’t sugar coating the message: Artificial intelligence will wipe out some jobs and reshape the company’s workforce.  For now, Walmart executives say the transformation means the size of its global workforce will stay roughly flat even as its revenue climbs. It plans to maintain its headcount of around 2.1million global workers over the next three years, but the mix of those jobs will change significantly, said Donna Morris, Walmart’s chief people officer. What the composition will look like remains murky.  Though there is plenty of anxiety among workers and leaders, many executives say the U.S. labor market remains healthy and they don’t anticipate widespread unemployment because of AI.  89qCx6UzCDStQHAyWTf5-WSJNewsPaper-9-29-2025.pdf

ABC: Construction Adds 15K Jobs in June

The construction industry added 15,000 jobs on net in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 121,000 jobs, or 1.5%. The construction unemployment rate fell to 3.4% last month. Unemployment across all industries declined from 4.2% in May to 4.1% in June.  June’s employment report, coupled with recent inflation data, indicate that the U.S. economy continues to demonstrate solid momentum, stable unemployment and declining inflation. Construction added jobs for a second consecutive month.  ABC: Construction Adds 15K Jobs in June – tEDmag

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names