For immediate release - Jan. 8, 2026

Construction association and Sage released its 2026 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook during live media briefing on Thursday, Jan. 8

New outlook to show how data center demand, ICE enforcement and other factors will impact construction firms in 2026

Kyle Van Slyke, Chief Operating Officer Musselman & Hall Contractors

On Thursday, Jan. 8, at 12 p.m. CST, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Sage released its national and state* construction hiring and business forecasts for 2026 during a virtual media briefing. The outlook will show how demand for data centers, ICE enforcement efforts, tariffs and other factors will impact the construction industry and its hiring plans for the coming year.

During the briefing, AGC of America’s chief economist, Ken Simonson, shared details of the outlook. AGC of America chief executive officer Jeff Shoaf detailed steps public officials, including the Trump administration, should take to support the construction industry in 2026, and Julie Adams, Senior Vice President of Construction with Sage provided an analysis of how advancements in technology and AI are driving demand for construction of projects like data centers. Construction contractors will be available to discuss their expectations for the year and local market conditions.

Kyle Van Slyke, member of The Builders, a chapter of the AGC Board of Directors, shared his observations about local market conditions and expectations for 2026, including the ongoing effort to attract more people to the trades, and a push to leverage technology.

Who: Jeff Shoaf, Chief Executive Officer, Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va.

Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va.

Julie Adams, Senior Vice President, Construction, Sage Construction, San Francisco, Ca.

Kyle Van Slyke, Chief Operating Officer, Musselman & Hall Contractors, Overland Park, Ks.

Arch C. Willingham, President, T.U. Parks Construction, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Jim Rhodes, Senior Vice President, Wayne Brothers Companies Davidson, NC

What: Release of 2026 national, regional and state* construction hiring, business forecasts showing how demand for data centers, ICE enforcement, tariffs and other factors will impact construction businesses and hiring

When: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 | 12 p.m. CST 

In case you didn’t have a chance to attend the media event live, here is the replay.

Contact: Brian Turmail at 703.459.0238 or [email protected].

*State data available for: Ala., Calif., Colo., Fla., Ga., Ky., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.Y., N.C., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Texas, Va., Wash., Wis.