[VIDEO] How NAPA Sees the FAST Act Playing Out in Road Construction

Employment levels crawl upward...

A pair of industry show reports...

Construction optimism abounds...

And the hidden goodies of the Super Bowl stadium...

That and more on Construction News Tracker brought to you by Caterpillar.

As growth in the nation's jobs rate appears to be slowing construction managed to add 18,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate remains at 8.5% — a 17 year low. AGC analyzed the government figures, concluding January was off from the heady pace of the last three months of 2015. The association attributes the decline to a couple of key areas: nonresidential construction or the continuing inability of contractors to find qualified, skilled workers.

Still, 6.6 million were employed in the field last month, the highest since December 2008, and AGC Economist Ken Simonson says contractors remain optimistic for a solid 2016.

Simonson points out that nearly twice as many U.S. metro areas added workers last year as there were losing jobs. Despite continued economic pressures, construction will continue its growth pattern.

That's similar to those who attended the National Pavement Expo at Charlotte recently. Optimism was in the air at the event as Pavement Maintenance and Reconstruction magazine Editor Allan Heydorn reports.

Demobilization is a rare term used by a contractor, but that's what Devere Construction says it has been forced to do in North Carolina. The company president, Richard Crittenden, says that state's DOT claims process is broken.

NCDOT counters by claiming Devere is in default of its deal covering four highway projects. It's an unfortunate set of circumstances that most likely will be resolved by the bonding company and the courts.

Following the collapse February 5 of a crawler crane in New York City, the major has implemented new safety measures at construction sites in the Big Apple.

[VIDEO] Watch as a 565-ft. Crane Collapses onto a Lower Manhattan Street

Minimum wind standards for cranes have always been noted, and the Tribeca incident that killed one person was operating within guidelines while being lowered when the incident occurred. The mayor's new edict will require all cranes to now be secured, residents notified when moved or placed in safe mode when wind speeds go over 20 miles per hour. And the fine amount is being increased from $4,800 to $10,000 per event.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association has just completed its meeting in southern California, and our Asphalt Contractor magazine Editor Lisa Cleaver provides us an update.

If you were among the millions that viewed the 50th annual Super Bowl there's plenty of Levi's Stadium you didn't see. It's the first NFL stadium to carry the Gold LEED certification.

It contains three NRG energy bridges, one NRG solar terrace, reclaims 87% of all water used, has 1,150 solar panels and can push out 375 kilowatts of peak power.

Levi Stadium also has a 2,700-square-foot roof garden, and all of the wood used in the high dollar suites was reclaimed from a former dirigible airship hanger. Over 60% of all consumer waste generated is recycled.Finally, we close on this note:Life is change; growth is optional; choose wisely.This is Construction News Tracker looking over the industry that makes the world a better place, presented by Caterpillar and produced by ForConstructionPros.com.We're all over social media as well:Facebook, Twitter using #construction news and YouTube as the streaming Web never ends.