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More “hottest day evers” mean changing the way we work

Extreme heat affects our health, our morale and our productivity. Employers will need to adapt.
Contractor Prince Xavier Biabo, who's renovating a townhouse in Baltimore, says hydrating is key to getting through the heat.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace

Fueled by federal dollars, commercial construction is booming

May 1, 2023
The resilience of this usually interest rate-sensitive sector makes the Fed’s goal of taming inflation that much harder.
Federal dollars dedicated semiconductor chip manufacturing and battery production is helping lift construction worker wages.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Homebuilding slows in April with both labor and lumber in short supply

May 18, 2021
"All of a sudden, these guys don’t have the wood to start supplying some of these jobs,” one analyst said.
Both labor and lumber are in short supply when it comes to building new homes.
Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Commercial construction faces a rocky year but skilled workers are still needed

Apr 20, 2021
Study shows commercial construction employment is still down about 5% from before the pandemic.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Facing "grim" outlook, construction industry awaits Biden infrastructure plan

Feb 1, 2021
The new administration is expected to unveil a $2 trillion proposal this month.
Construction workers at a project in New York City. Over the past four years, the industry has been frustrated by infrastructure-spending promises that never materialized.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

Facing a labor shortage, construction tries to rebrand

Apr 11, 2019
To recruit more young people, employers talk up technology and higher pay.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Builders battle freezing temps to keep construction boom going

Feb 21, 2018
With tight deadlines, construction often doesn't stop for the weather.
"You just gotta suck it up," said Kai Yee, a laborer in Cleveland, Ohio when asked how he deals with extreme cold. “If [you] can’t do the job, they’ll bring somebody else who can. Everybody’s replaceable.” 
Adrian Ma/ for Marketplace

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