In the News

A contractor pleaded guilty Monday in Suffolk County District Court to a felony charge of willfully failing to pay prevailing wages and supplemental benefits, along with a related offense.

The event, held at Norman J. Levy Lakeside School, was aimed at condemning corruption in construction projects at Merrick School District and other public school districts across Long Island.

Prevailing wages provide a baseline — a standard of fairness and consistency that benefits not only workers but developers and the construction industry as a whole. These laws make labor costs predictable, which is essential for successful development.

A preliminary benchmark announcement from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals weaker job growth between March 2024 and March 2025 than when it was first reported based on survey data.

The U.S. economy probably added close to a million fewer jobs in 2024 and early 2025 than previously reported, the latest sign that the labor market, until recently a bright spot in the economy, may be weaker than it initially appeared.

“Suffolk County is a hub for this kind of manufacturing activity, and we want to help these companies to invest in their operations, to add jobs,” Kelly Murphy, the IDA’s CEO and executive director who worked on the report, said in an interview after the agency’s monthly board meeting.