The cost of many products used in construction climbed 7.4 percent over the past year due to double-digit increases in commonly used construction materials, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Forty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between August 2017 and August 2018, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Construction spending declined 1.1 percent in June from an upwardly revised record level in May, but there were widespread gains in both public and private investment for the first half of the year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Construction employment increased by 13,000 jobs in June and by 282,000 jobs over the past year, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between February 2017 and February 2018, while 38 states added construction jobs between January and February, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Construction employment increased in 269 out of 358 metro areas between December 2016 and December 2017, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

Seventy-five percent of construction firms plan to expand their payrolls in 2018 according to survey results released by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate.