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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $4 million in funding to develop and demonstrate new energy efficiency solutions for homes through its Building America program.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $6 million in funding to accelerate energy efficiency in offices, schools, stores, and other buildings to help businesses and communities save money, create jobs, and reduce pollution.

After its first negative score in 10 months, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) showed a nominal increase in design activity in February, and has been positive 10 out of the past 12 months. A leading economic indicator of construction activity, the February ABI score was 50.4, up slightly from a mark of 49.9 in January. 

The United States construction industry added 39,000 jobs in January, including 12,700 net new nonresidential jobs, according to a new preliminary estimate released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Construction spending rose in December 2014 to a six-year high of $982 billion as public construction for the year increased for the first time since 2009, according to an analysis of construction data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 2.6 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rate) during the fourth quarter of 2014, following a 5 percent increase in the third quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Investment in nonresidential structures increased 2.6 percent.

Nonresidential construction spending slipped 1 percent on a monthly basis in November, but still managed to expand 4 percent on a year-over-year basis according to the latest figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending for the month totaled $617 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis.