For Construction Pros

The construction industry had 326,000 job openings at the end of July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Job openings increased by 28,000 from June and were up 21,000 from July 2025. The construction job opening rate also reached its highest level in nearly two years. Contractor hiring accelerated during the month while layoffs declined.

Ten years ago, project quality was largely measured by what happened on the day construction ended: whether the pavement had a smooth surface, properly placed asphalt, acceptable density, strong compaction numbers and clean joints. If a project met specifications and looked good at handoff, it was generally considered a quality job. No one has abandoned that standard. However, today, the conversation around quality has expanded toward whether the pavement actually holds up.

National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.286 trillion, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors of U.S. Census Bureau data. Private nonresidential construction spending rose 0.4%, while public nonresidential spending declined 0.2%. Spending decreased in eight of 16 nonresidential categories. The increase was driven by data center construction, according to ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

Suicide remains a serious concern for the construction industry, where demanding work, long hours, jobsite stress, loneliness and a culture of toughness can create significant mental health challenges. As Sept. 14-18 marks Construction Suicide Prevention Week, this episode of Watch FCP examines what contractors and construction leaders can do to make mental health and suicide prevention a more consistent part of jobsite safety.

Construction industry studies consistently show that most major projects experience delays, cost overruns, claims, or disputes. The problem is not a lack of information. The problem is that critical evidence is buried across millions of emails, schedules, drawings, RFIs, change orders, site reports, photos and project records that are difficult to connect and analyze before problems become expensive.

If you have driven through a short-term work zone recently, you have likely encountered equipment such as automated flagger assistance devices, portable temporary rumble strips, dynamic message boards or advanced warning systems. While these devices are not new, they are becoming more common and can provide meaningful safety benefits when applied thoughtfully and in the right environments.

Reading Truck Equipment and Masterack, both J.B. Poindexter & Co. companies, are integrating their operations to create a larger commercial vehicle upfit organization in North America. The combined organization will bring together Masterack’s cargo management products for commercial vans and pickup trucks with Reading Truck Equipment’s network of upfit, installation, parts and service locations.

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Construction is often described as a game of inches. In reality, it's a game of millimeters: a slab is either level or it isn't; the steel beam is either a fit or it isn't. Equipment either arrives in time to support the next phase of work, or the schedule begins to slip. While construction itself is measured with precision, planning is still managed through lagging information: manual tracking across a mosaic of spreadsheets, email threads and follow-up calls.

For more than a decade, Jessie Boone has been on a mission to change how the industry thinks about rebuilding roads. Whether she's speaking to contractors, transportation agencies or engineers, her message is consistent: there are better, more sustainable ways to rehabilitate pavements, and the industry can't afford to ignore them.