NSPE signed on to a joint letter with the American Institute of Architects, American Council of Engineering Companies, Associated General Contractors of America, American Subcontractors Association, and other industry organizations asking Congress and the president to enact legislation that would help create jobs in the design and construction industry. The industry accounts for 5.7% of the Gross Domestic Product and employs more than seven million Americans who design, construct, and maintain the infrastructure on which the U.S. economy depends. Reviving demand for construction, particularly in the private sector, is essential to sustaining broader economic growth.