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News Briefs

Date Posted: August 4 2006

U.S. construction jumps in first half
New U.S. construction starts in June dropped 5%, but for the first half of 2006, total construction jumped to $344 billion, or an increase of 7 percent, compared to a year ago.

The data was provided by McGraw-Hill Construction, which said its construction index showed a "generally upward trend."

"The construction industry is seeing a transition in 2006," said Robert A. Murray, vice
president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. "From 2001 through 2005, single-family housing had been the primary source of expansion for total construction, but that's changed as the first half of 2006 clearly shows single-family housing cooling down.

"At the same time, the upturn for nonresidential building has gained momentum in 2006, as improved market fundamentals have encouraged further development, even amidst the difficulties arising from the higher cost of materials. In addition, greater federal spending and the improved fiscal position of the states have contributed to more public works construction this year."

By region, the Midwest was up 4 percent in the first half of 2006.

A report by Reed Construction Data said "reduced pressure on the supply of materials, labor and equipment used by non-residential contractors is now beginning, following the decline in residential starts reported by the U.S. Census Bureau in the last few months. But this impact will be small and spread over many months. Significant price and supply improvements for contractors are likely only in the most impacted housing markets in the southeast and southwest."


Welcome aboard, IBEW Local 665
We send out a hearty welcome to Lansing IBEW Local 665, which is subscribing to The Building Tradesman Newspaper for the first time.

Our paper was established in 1952 and is the official publication of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council.

Local 665 is the ninth IBEW local in Michigan to subscribe to The Building Tradesman, and is one of more than 40 local building trade unions that send their members the paper.

With the addition of our new subscribers at Local 665, we now have a circulation of 49,000.

Mark Labor Day on your calendar
Make plans to attend Labor Day celebrations in Detroit, Muskegon, Grand Rapids and St. Ignace/Mackinaw City on Monday, Sept. 4. We will have more details on those events in our next issue.

There will be an earlier start to the 2006 Detroit Labor Day Parade, 9:15 a.m. It will be staged as usual for the building trades on Trumbull Ave. south of Michigan. The starting time is earlier to allow the building trades to move ahead of the other line of march, south along Woodward Avenue to the Legacy of Labor Monument.