Labor productivity is the central economic engine that drives profitability for labor-intensive, self-performing contractors. FMI’s 2023 Labor Productivity Study found that contractors experienced approximately $30 billion to $40 billion in lost profits due to labor inefficiencies in 2022.

If a worker comes to your door and tells you he has leftover materials from a neighbor’s project and can give you a deal on building a deck or replacing windows, do you let him do work for you?

The Economic Policy Institute published a new analysis quantifying the impact on workers in 11 occupations when they are misclassified as independent contractors. Of particular importance for SWACCA, the analysis found that construction workers lost between $10,177 to $16,729 when they are misclassified—the second most of any occupation, listed behind trucking ($11,076 to $18,053).

This industry study analyzes the $9.7 billion U.S. insulation market, presenting historical demand data (2010, 2015 and 2020) and forecasts (2025 and 2030) by product (foamed plastic, fiberglass, mineral wool, cellulose, reflective insulation & reflective barriers, and other insulation materials) and market.

A newly released study by ICF, an international consulting firm with expertise in the energy and energy efficiency sectors (and not to be confused with insulated concrete forms), shows that upgrading building envelope insulation leads to substantial energy savings and carbon emission reductions.

Based on experience, I had come to believe that institutions of higher learning were more independent. But over time I found out that many of these reports were skewed.

The NWCB, their members and contributors to the original Study have partnered with the Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance, SWACCA, to form a collaborative effort to update the original Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau 2009 publication. 

Saint-Gobain, in partnership with the University of Oregon’s High Performance Environments Lab (HiPE), announced the results of its North American Headquarters Occupant Comfort Study. The longitudinal study, the first of its kind based on size and scale, revealed that a systems-