Top of the news:

A rise in construction and equipment use is predicted to help the construction equipment aftermarket expand to $30 billion by the end of 2027.

POLITICAL:

The Labor Department announced a ruling that federal contractor employees will make at least $15 an hour starting January 30, 2022, The New York Times writes.

ECONOMIC:

Construction for manufactured homes is expected to hit a high, with the number expected to surpass 100,000 homes, The Real Deal reports.

SOCIAL:

As the date to Qatar’s World Cup nears, migrant workers, many of them who work in construction, and their advocates are speaking out against exploitative practices, NBC News writes.

A report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research detailed that an expanded number of women and non-binary people within the construction industry were considering leaving it due to gender discrimination, Business Insider reports.

TECHNOLOGY:

The infrastructure bill has many companies turning to technology to deal with the increased amount of work, Construction Equipment Guide writes.

LEGAL:

TC Energy Corporation is filing a claim under the North American Free Trade Agreement to seek compensation from the termination and complications related to the company’s termination of the Keystone XL Pipeline, Al Jazeera reports.

ENVIRONMENTAL:

Architect Pablo van der Lugt speaks out on the benefits of utilizing mass timber and bamboo in construction projects with ArchDaily.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

How to avoid these all-too-common mistakes in your email communications.