Discrepancies exist between aggregate and activity productivity measurements in the US construction industry. Multiple studies using aggregate industry measures suggest that construction productivity has declined over the long term. A longstanding problem with the aggregate measures concerns the...

The case for or against craft training in construction from the perspective of constructors, owners, governments, workers, and other stakeholders is not completely clear, despite several studies to date. The business case for investing in construction craft training is examined from the...

Over recent decades, sporadic advancements in machinery and construction materials have to some extent increased construction productivity in the United States. However, there is evidence that additional productivity improvement opportunities exist. One way to improve direct work rates and...

Imported avocados, which accounted for less than 1.5 percent of total U.S. avocado supply during the 1970s and 1980s, increased their share to over 44 percent in 2002-03 and further increases are on the horizon. With inelastic demand, imports placed substantial pressure on domestic avocado...

Comparisons of industry sectors in advanced economies since the 1960s show that the construction sector has lagged in productivity growth rates, especially in the United States. Although the US and Canadian economies are highly integrated, Canada's experience differs in key ways. Analysis of...

The US construction industry has witnessed a drop in real wages since 1970. The decline in real wages may be attributed to a combination of socio-economic factors like migrant labourers, fringe benefits, safety procedures, union membership and worker skills. Another factor that may be impacting...

Recently, safety incentive programs have been under scrutiny by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration for their effectiveness to improve construction safety performance. Most of the previous research on construction safety incentives focused on anecdotal evidence examining the...