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The data center construction boom has brought contractors a flood of orders while intensifying labor shortages. At the "Courting Construction" webinar hosted by Construction Dive on August 26, executives from Turner Construction, Clayco, and DPR Construction shared their talent recruitment and retention strategies, including localized hiring, employee retraining, and enhanced benefits for mobile workers.
According to the latest CBRE report, despite record-breaking data center construction activity in North America, the market vacancy rate has dropped to a historic low of 1.4% due to power infrastructure constraints.
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for July, both construction job openings and hires increased significantly, reaching 326,000 and 366,000 respectively, with month-over-month growth rates of 9.4% and 14.7%. Industry economists point out that robust demand from data center and power-related construction has driven improvements in the labor market, but future trends remain uncertain.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice announced the dismantling of a cyberattack platform operated by the Chinese government-backed hacking group QTFY, which used tools such as QScan and QTRouter to conduct long-term espionage activities against multiple US government departments and critical infrastructure.
Skanska USA Civil has appointed Antonia Junelind as its new CFO, effective January 1, 2027. Junelind has been with Skanska for over 15 years and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Investor Relations. Former CFO Jari Mäntylä will transition to strategic projects in preparation for retirement.
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) announced that a joint team of Suffolk Construction and CO Architects will undertake the delivery of its dental education center and clinic project at the Mission Bay campus. The project is expected to cost approximately $278 million and is a key component of the new home for the UCSF School of Dentistry.
Construction firms have for years been searching for workers who may be right under their noses. At Construction Dive's 'Courting Construction' virtual event on August 26, a panel of experts said disadvantaged communities could play a significant role in bolstering the labor pool, but companies may need to adjust traditional site practices.
Walmart plans to build a new automated fulfillment center in Carnesville, Georgia, with an investment of $1.3 billion, covering 1.5 million square feet, and expected to create 1,000 jobs. The project is part of Walmart's strategy to expand next-day and two-day delivery capabilities, with construction expected to start in late 2026.
JE Dunn Construction announced on August 26 that it has added a power generation business unit under its Advanced Technology Group and promoted Ryan Wilson internally to vice president and market leader. Wilson joined the company in 2018 and previously served as a senior project manager, focusing on power, industrial, and manufacturing sectors. The new unit will focus on power generation project opportunities arising from AI infrastructure, manufacturing reshoring, and aging power grids, with the company having completed over 220 power generation projects to date.
By analyzing a steel column buckling incident during the renovation of a 37-story building in Manhattan, this article points out the systemic deficiencies in document continuity and asset identity tracking within the construction industry. The author proposes that buildings need a persistent identity identifier similar to vehicle identification numbers and Carfax reports, to connect records, inspections, permits, and renovation information throughout their entire lifecycle, avoiding historical discontinuities caused by personnel turnover or system changes.