Construction: What Will 2014 Bring?

Posted by hiringhelper on January 16th, 2014

With 2013 drawing to a close, it is important to look back on this year to see what we can expect for the new year. 2014 is expected by many to be a big year for the construction industry, with growth projected in the number of available construction jobs and projects.

Construction Jobs

Despite several setbacks, construction employment in 2013 has improved. Many states and cities increased their work and their spending on commercial projects, paving the way for more construction jobs to be available.

While all expectations were not met, 2014 is projected to be even better than this year in the construction job market. The growth shown in 2013 is an indicator that next year will bring higher employment and more construction across the United States. As the economy improves in the coming months, an increased amount of money will be invested into both commercial and residential construction and renovation, opening the door for many more jobs in the field. Business expansion is one of the main factors contributing to growth, according to studies. It is also expected that many managerial level and executive level construction jobs, such as construction cost estimators, contractors, project managers and super intendants, will be created in 2014.

Technology/Software

The use of BIM is increasing. BIM (Building Information Modeling) is software that creates the digital representations of a project or building. It has become almost required for many fields of construction, and companies are investing more money into training contractors to use the software, as it provides efficiency and reduces overall costs on projects. It is also believed that because of its nature, many different workers in the construction field will have to learn this new software and system if it is to be implemented properly. Despite the amount of money it would take to teach it on a wider scale, the cost benefits and time saved will more than make up for the initial investment.

Recent technological improvements in the industry have allowed construction companies to save money and increase efficiency in the construction field. As technology advances, construction will eventually become much safer, cheaper, and more advanced.

Green Construction

The growth of construction that is environmentally friendly was on the rise in 2013, and there are no signs of slowing down. ‘Green’ construction refers to buildings designed to be energy-efficient, water-efficient, built using sustainable materials and with a low impact on the surrounding ecosystem. According to McGraw Hill Construction, retail and hospitality have seen the most increases in green construction.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has helped set the standards for energy-efficient construction, helping construction companies understand the requirements for a proper, environmentally-friendly construction project. Economic factors such as tax incentives have attributed to the growth of green buildings, according to a 2013 study from Florida State University. And with a population more in-tune with environmental responsibility, it is important for construction companies to consider adopting the LEED guidelines.

Construction in general has been hard hit since the economic recession, and one of the slowest to truly bounce back. When all is said and done, however, growth in the industry is on the rise, and the next year should bring about new opportunities and employment for people across the country in the construction field.

Construction Connection:

ConstructionConnection.com was created out of a need for a more effective and streamlined way for construction industry professionals to get matched with the right industry jobs and with the right industry opportunities. The founders of Construction Connection, both industry professionals themselves, listened to both company and individuals’ dissatisfaction with the traditional job boards, the paid resume blasts, the overpriced resume services and overall lack of sympathy toward the individual candidate. They also listened to the dissatisfaction from companies who post jobs only to get many irrelevant results or have to purchase high priced ads to showcase their company. Construction Connection is a patent-pending, one-of-a- kind profile creating / match-making system. The system delivers effective results. Construction Connection saves time, money and aggravation by matching people to people, people to companies, companies to people, and company to company.