The webinar begins with a brief review of how total construction spending and its major components-private residential, private nonresidential and public construction-fared during the industry’s long slump from 2006 to 2011, and how far each component has recovered to date.
The three key drivers and three major drags on current and near-term construction activity are explained, along with implications by region as well as sector. State-by-state construction employment change is discussed, as a lead-in to the difficulty contractors are reporting in filling numerous categories of craft and professional positions. This leads to a review of the likelihood of wage escalation and the ramifications for profitability, delays and possible cancellations of projects. The prospects for price movement of major material inputs is examined, followed by a recap of the hottest segments, recent trends and likely movements in 2015 for major categories of construction, materials prices, and labor costs and availability.
Why should you Attend: Many investors and businesses are counting on a strong construction industry in 2015. There have been plenty of indicators that contractors’ order books will be thick. But there is also plenty of reason for concern. Too many mega-projects may reach the starting line contractors and supplier to handle, pushing up costs and delaying deliveries. A slew of potential environmental, safety, tax and other regulatory challenges could stop projects or sap profits. Perhaps hardest of all to overcome is a looming shortage of skilled manpower as the construction unemployment rate nears a record low and millions of workers near retirement. Can contractors, suppliers and owners avoid or overcome these problems?
Areas Covered in the Session: