Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/89769
54 • NOVEMBER 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Early bird registration for the NDPA's 2013 symposium now open Money-saving early bird registra- tion is now open for the 2013 National Drowning Prevention Symposium, sponsored by the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA). The early registration period ends on Jan. 31, 2013. The symposium is scheduled for March 13-15, 2013 at the Bahia Mar Doubletree in Fort Lauderdale. The early registration fee is $299 for NDPA members, and $350 for non-members. If you are interested in joining prior to registering for the sym- posium, visit www.ndpa.org. You will receive the NDPA member rate for the symposium and the membership is tax deductible, according to NDPA. Attendees should call the Bahia Mar to make room reservations at 800- 222-8733. Mention code DPA for the NDPA group event rate of $135. For more information, e-mail ndpa@suncoastmeetings.com. AGC issues report on construction employment in U.S. metro areas during past year Construction employment de- clined in 164 out of 337 U.S. metro- politan areas between August 2011 and August 2012, increased in 130 and was stagnant in 43, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials said that con- struction employment in many areas was suffering as government and busi- ness officials delay projects in the face of federal tax and funding uncertainty. "The looming fiscal cliff is already Industrial • Commercial • Farm • Ranch Certified Fencing Materials Interstate Highway • Federal or State Land Projects Oil Field Sites and Open Pit Mining • Residential Certified T-Post 1.33 certified ASTM Cross Lock Fence High Tensile V-Mesh Fence Gives maximum protection. High carbon, steel wire construction bounces back. Cross Lock knot leaves no sharp edges. Ornamental Fence An old favorite, Class 1 galvanized wire fencing. Continuously interwoven vertical wires with horizontal cable form perfect hinge joints for flexibility. Available in 2 styles: M-5, I-2. 165 foot rolls. Right-of-Way Gate CG650 2", 16 ga. Available in Red, Green,Old Iron Gray, Canyon Tan or Heavy Duty Brown • Field Fence • T-Posts/Wood Posts • Barbed Wire • Tubular Right-of-Way Gates • Portable Fencing Systems • Corner/Anchor Posts • High Tensile CROSSLOCK Game Fence contributing to construction employ- ment declines in many parts of the country," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "We are just not seeing the kind of pri- vate sector momentum that the indus- try experienced earlier this year." The largest job losses were in At- lanta - Sandy Springs - Marietta, Ga. (-7,200 jobs, -8 percent), followed by Tampa - St. Petersburg - Clearwater, Fla. (-6,700 jobs, -12 percent); New York City (-6,200 jobs, -5 percent) and Philadelphia (-4,300 jobs, -6 percent). Springfield, Mass. - Conn. (-31 percent, -3,700 jobs) lost the highest percentage. Other areas experiencing large percentage declines in construction employment included Anchorage, Specification B-11 (Single Loop) styles with uniform pickets the entire height for a more open appearance. Specification A-11 (Double Loop) fence has closely woven picket wires at the bottom and double-loop wires. Both available in 36", 42", 48" Call for quotes meeting state and federal DOT specifications www.hutchison-inc.com 800-525-0121 Alaska (-21 percent, -2,200 jobs); Jackson, Miss. (-21 percent, -2,300 jobs) and Lansing - East Lansing, Mich. (-18 percent, -1,200 jobs). Yuba City, Calif. added the high- est percentage of new construction jobs (24 percent, 400 jobs) followed by Pascagoula, Miss. (21 percent, 1,000 jobs); Bakersfield - Delano, Calif. (17 percent, 2,500 jobs) and El Centro, Calif. (15 percent, 200 jobs). Los Angeles - Long Beach - Glen- dale, Calif. (8,600 jobs, 8 percent) added the most jobs. Other areas adding a large number of jobs included Houston - Sugar Land - Baytown, Texas (6,900 jobs, 4 percent); Phoenix - Mesa - Glendale, Ariz. (6,300 jobs, 7 percent); Fort Worth - Arlington, Tex. (5,100 jobs, 9 percent) and Portland - Vancouver - Hillsboro, Ore. - Wash. (4,700 jobs, 10 percent). Association officials cautioned that construction employment would continue to decline until Congress and the administration set tax and spend- ing rates for next year and, preferably, beyond. They said reports from firms across the country indicate that the threat of significant tax hikes and mandatory cuts to a number of key federal construction and infrastructure programs are prompting many owners to delay projects. "Even more construction workers are at risk of losing their jobs because our elected officials in Washington aren't doing theirs," said Sandherr. "Setting tax rates and prioritizing fed- eral investments may not be easy, but it ought to be far more preferable than letting our economy languish from un- certainty and inaction."