Washington Update
FAA to Allocate $59 Million For Upgrades at 26 NY Airports
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced on Sept. 4 that $59,115,204 in federal funding has been allocated to modernize facilities and strengthen airfield safety at 26 airports across New York State.
The federal funding was granted through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program and will help fund projects that address safety, capacity, and security at New York’s airports. The projects include constructing and expanding terminals, rehabilitating taxiways, and modernizing airport signage.
Hudson Valley airports that will receive FAA funding include:
Joseph Y Resnick Airport, $908,635. (Ellenville, NY-Ulster County) for taxiway reconstruction;
Westchester County Airport, $572,576. (White Plains, Westchester County) for runway rehabilitation and expansion;
Orange County Airport, $124,560. (Montgomery, NY, Orange County) for taxiway reconstruction.
Construction Sector Posts Record Low Jobless Rate in August, Adding 34K Jobs
WASHINGTON—The construction sector added 34,000 jobs in August while the industry’s unemployment rate fell to 3.2%, the lowest August rate in the 25-year history of the data, according to an analysis of new government data by a leading association.
The unemployment rate and the results of a recently released workforce survey indicate that firms would likely have hired more workers if only they could find qualified people.
“Construction job growth was the strongest in five months in August,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America, which issued the report. “But the record-low unemployment rate for jobseekers with construction experience shows how much difficulty contractors face in finding qualified workers.”
Construction employment in August totaled 8,280,000, seasonally adjusted, an increase of 34,000 from July. The sector has added 228,000 jobs or 2.8% during the past 12 months, nearly double the 1.5% increase for total nonfarm employment.
All types of construction firms added employees in August. Nonresidential construction firms added 28,300 employees, including 800 at building firms, 14,000 at specialty trade contractors, and 13,500 at heavy and civil engineering construction firms. Employment at residential firms rose by 5,600, including 4,800 at builders and 800 at specialty trade contractors.
Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in construction—covering most onsite craft workers as well as many office workers—climbed by 3.8% over the year to $35.81 per hour. Overall private sector pay for production workers rose 4.1%, to $30.27. That difference in hourly pay constituted a wage “premium” of just over 18% compared to the overall private sector.
The unemployment rate among jobseekers with construction experience was 3.2% in August, the lowest August rate in the history of the series. Mr. Simonson remarked that this is another indication of steady demand for construction.
It was noted that the new employment data tracks with the results of a workforce survey the association and Arcoro released at the end of August. That survey found most contractors plan to add to their headcount, but 94% of firms that are hiring report having difficulty finding qualified workers to hire. The association urged federal officials to boost funding for construction education and training programs and to allow more people to lawfully enter the country to work in the industry.