Construction Jobs Up from November 2013 to November 2014
Construction firms added jobs in 38 states between November 2013 and November 2014, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Association officials also said that construction employment increased in 26 states between October 2014 and November 2014.
Texas added more new construction jobs (47,300 jobs) between November 2013 and November 2014 than any other state. Other states adding a high number of new construction jobs in that same time were California (40,800), Florida (34,900), Washington (12,800) and Illinois (12,000).
Twelve states lost construction jobs during between November 2013 and November 2014, including West Virginia, Mississippi, New Jersey and Nebraska.
U.S. Drilling Rig Count Falls By Largest Total in 23 Years
The number of drilling rigs working in the United States as of last week Friday totaled 1,750 according to the latest figures released by Baker Hughes Inc. That number is down by 61 from the previous week’s total, the largest drop in the number of working rigs since 1991.
The decline in oil rigs accounted for the entire loss of 61 working rigs last week. There were 14 directional drilling rigs and 36 horizontal rigs that were shut down, in addition to 14 vertical rigs.
Seattle Tunnel Project Delayed Again
The task of repairing Bertha, the tunnel machine beneath Seattle, will delay the Highway 99 tunnel project another nine months, a tentative schedule from Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) says. It’s not expected to pen to traffic now until August 2017.
The Washington Department of Transportation says that any timelines are strictly tentative until the giant drill is operational again.
STP says it will finish the job, even if it misses by 20 months its original goal to finish a year from now and misses its second goal, to finish in November 2016.
As of Jan. 5, crews have excavated 90 feet of the 120-foot-deep access vault, where a crane will be used to lift and repair the front end of Bertha at the surface.
The boring machine overheated and stalled just over a year ago when grit penetrated the seals around the main bearing.
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