News

As promised, here is the FULL interview version of this week's Words With Wayne, a one-on-one interview with Governor Brad Little covering industry issues.

On this week's episode of Words With Wayne, Wayne reaches out from the AGC Western Chapters meeting in San Diego to keep you updated on what we're doing on the local and national political scene.

We beat the pavement every day trying to get the word out to parents, educators, career counselors, and students:  the trades are a great place to have a career.  

We came across this article on Parents.com from one parent to another, "Teens Need to Know They Can Make Money in Trade Careers" and thought we'd share.  We aren't the only ones spreading the word.  Click the article title to read what blogger Katie Bingham-Smith has to say about her son entering the trades.

The employment cost index—a measure of compensation (wages, salaries and benefits, including required payments), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) posted today for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019, showed mixed results for the quarter and year.

Seasonally adjusted construction employment increased from December 2018 to December 2019 in 34 states and the District of Columbia and declined in 16 states, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

On today's episode of Words With Wayne, learn about our training, get a legislative update, and tune in for a few reminders of our upcoming events.

For the first time since March, contractors’ bid prices rose less from November to December (0.1%) than the cost of purchased materials and services (0.5%), based on an AGC analysis of producer price indexes (PPIs)

Happy New Year!

We are off and running into 2020 and already busy with our Legislative Session. What's happening on that front? Watch the video below to find out.

--The Idaho AGC
 

OP ED FROM BOB VON LINTIG & WAYNE HAMMON
PRESIDENT & CEO, IDAHO ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Those of us who build and maintain Idaho’s vital transportation network agree whole‐heartedly with Governor Little who stated during his annual State of the State address on Monday, “One thing I consistently hear about is our transportation system. In a growing state, we must move people and products as safely and efficiently as possible.”

Construction spending totaled $1.324 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate in November, up 0.6% from the upwardly revised October rate and up 4.1% year-over-year (y/y) from November 2018, the Census Bureau reported today.