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Looks like Santa will need Some Extra Helpers this Season
Based on November employment statistics and a number of other key indicators, Santa is going to need a lot of extra help this year. But, with a strong holiday spending season underway and an unprecedented 63.7% of Canada’s working-age population (15 years old and over) already employed, he may have difficulty finding it. This outlook for the holiday spending season is based on the fact that, over the near term, five key drivers of consumer spending are all flashing green (pun intended).
Louisiana and Utah Jump into First Place in Latest Growth Measure
Louisiana and Utah have jumped ahead of Massachusetts and now have the highest economic growths among all states in the last three months, ending in September. Hurricane rebuilding is finally becoming significant in Louisiana which is the only state, other than Hawaii, to record an increase in housing this year. The value of non-residential construction starts is up 75% in 2007 in Louisiana, far ahead of the 18% national gain. The recent growth surge in Utah reverses an earlier housing-related slowdown.
Low Unemployment Rate will Continue to Put Pressure on Ontario Construction Wages
According to a recent issue of the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s Collective Bargaining Highlights, the overall average increase in base wage rates in August 2007 was 3.6%, up from 2.9% in July. This figure represents the largest increase in wage settlements since 2005. Regionally, strong labour demand in the West is putting pressure on wage rates in Ontario. Ontario employers are forced to pay more, not only to attract new staff, but also to retain their existing workforce.
Maximize Online Advertising Dollars
Online advertising is increasingly becoming a key part of any marketing mix. Ensure that your ad dollars are generating results and achieving your marketing goals by following these best practices.
Meeting the Needs for Governmental BIM Compliance while Avoiding Current Liability Obstacles
Government organizations such as the GSA (General Services Administration), USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), and NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command), etc. have begun requesting Building Information Models (BIM) on current projects to serve as a baseline for development of their individual “BIM initiatives.”
Metal Buildings
Tom, age 12, was backing the 4-wheel hay wagon into the dairy barn with a team of horses for the first time. The barn was post and beam. The custom wooden joints between the beams and columns were secured with wooden pegs — no steel. There are very few wooden post and beam barns like this being built today! Today, the leading choice is pre-engineered metal buildings.
Miami, Chicago and Three Cities in California Leading Construction Cost Gains
RSMeans’ latest monthly report on square footage construction costs for four typical building types looks at a church, movie theater and a department store, one-storey versus three-stories. A church is the most expensive to build on a dollar-per-square-foot basis, with a movie theater next in line. At +4.4%, a church also leads in terms of the average cost increase over the past year. The five cities with the largest percentage increases in costs were Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
Mid-November Stock Market Prices Fall Back 5% to 7%
As at October month end, the largest year-over-year gain among the four major North American stock market indices has been by NASDAQ (+20.8%). However, the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), on a currency-adjusted basis, has really been the star performer (+40% on a U.S.-dollar basis). At the time of writing, mid November, the indexes have backed off from their high points. All four indexes are down between 5% and 7% versus October 31st. Several factors are contributing to the recent retrenchment.
Minimizing the Size of Family Files (Revit Objects)
The power of BIM is pronominal. Stretch the side of the building and walls, floors, roof, ceilings and all the related drawings change, take a door out of any view and it leaves your project and disappears from every view where the door could be seen. Check for conflicts and the software tells you where pipes are hitting structural members.
Mixed-mode Building Design Combines Old and New Ideas
Passive ventilation and natural cooling are combined with mechanical systems to create healthier indoor environments and even better energy efficiency.
