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March 30, 2010
On Thursday [March 25], Congress completed action on a reconciliation bill that modifies the newly enacted health care legislation and also replaces private lending for college student loans with direct lending from the U.S. Department of Education. President Obama was expected to sign the bill on Tuesday [March 29].The reconciliation bill eliminates the discriminatory definition of small...
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October 8, 2009
The Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C., in conjunction with Dr. Usha Haley of Harvard University, released a report, "Through China’s Looking Glass: Subsidies to the Chinese Glass Industry from 2004-2008," Oct. 8. Specific findings include:Since 2003, glass production in China has more than doubled. Concurrently, production capacity in China has doubled since 2003...
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October 5, 2009
Many in the commercial and residential window and door industry fear energy efficiency policy is outpacing the technology itself and that buyers, particularly in the commercial market, need more education on the subject.These were just two of the concerns raised at the Energy Efficiency Town Hall Forum held in conjunction with GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo Sept. 29-...
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August 24, 2009
Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment fell in 29 states in July and rose in 21 states and the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday [Aug. 21]. North Carolina had the largest percentage drop, -0.7 percent; followed by Mississippi, -0.6 percent; Nevada and New Mexico, -0.5 percent each. The largest percentage gains were in D.C., 1.9 percent; Michigan, 1.0...
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June 5, 2009
Unemployment in the construction sector climbed to a “horrendous” 19.2 percent (not-seasonally adjusted) as an additional 59,000 construction workers lost their jobs in May according to new federal data, said construction economist Ken Simonson, chief economist, Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va., today, according to a June 5 release.Simonson, who discussed...
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June 3, 2009
Construction employment fell in 276 of the nation's largest 299 metro areas from April 2008 to April 2009, according to a new analysis of government data conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America's chief economist Ken Simonson. The data highlights the critical need for the federal government to move quickly to invest stimulus funds without needless requirements that could hamper...
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June 2, 2009
Spending on construction in the U.S. unexpectedly rose in April as the housing slump eased and more commercial projects got under way.The 0.8 percent gain was the biggest since August and followed a revised 0.4 percent increase the prior month, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Residential construction climbed 0.6 percent and work on power plants and factories propelled commercial...
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May 18, 2009
The nation's industrial production fell in April by the smallest amount in six months, fresh evidence that the pace of the economy's decline is slowing.Output by U.S. factories, mines and utilities fell by 0.5 percent last month, after revised declines of 1.7 percent in March and 1 percent in February, the Federal Reserve said Friday. Analysts expected a drop of 0.6 percent in April.Still, the...
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May 12, 2009
"Early reports indicate that the infrastructure portion of the stimulus is beginning to do exactly what was intended, put construction workers back on the job," says Ken Simonson, chief economist, AGC, Arlington, Va., after the U.S. Department of Labor issued its April 2009 employment report. While the report found continued job losses in the construction sector, Ken...
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May 8, 2009
"You should be able to don a green collar, even if you don't wear a union hat," says AGC chief executive officer Stephen Sandherr as the U.S. Department of Labor gets ready to begin awarding new "green jobs" training grants. Unfortunately, the new federal grants are currently available only to union affiliated groups, according to a May 7 AGC report.