Construction Industry Employment Reaches Highest Level Since June of 2009
According to the most recent government data as reported by the Associated General Contractors of America (the “AGC”), construction employers added 15,000 workers to payrolls in February despite harsh winter weather throughout much of the nation. Those additions have pushed the construction industry employment to the highest level since 2009. The largest area of growth remains residential construction; however, over 50,600 non-residential jobs have been added over the last twelve months.
The AGC also reports that the unemployment rate for workers actively looking for jobs and last employed in construction declined from 15.7% in February of 2013 to just 12.8% last month. This unemployment rate is the lowest since 2008 and represents a significant decrease from February of 2010, when it reached 27.1%.
The AGC’s most recent construction industry employment report provides another indication that the construction industry continues to recover from the economic downturn. The AGC’s full report is available here.