Construction Industry Workers Continue to Age

The average age of a worker in the construction industry rose dramatically in 2.5 years from 38.9 in 2006 to 41.4 in 2009, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS). The average worker’s age, which has risen steadily for years, is unlikely to decline as the enormous baby boom generation continues to age. In 2001, the average age for construction workers was 38.7, only 1.5 years older than it was in 1992 at 37.2, and just 1.2 years younger than in 2006. According the survey, 39.1 percent of the construction industry’s workers were under age 35 in 2006; only 33.2 percent were in the same demographic in 2009. Meanwhile, the percentage of construction workers who were at least age 45 rose from 34.3 percent in 2006 to 41.6 percent in 2009. The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey has been conducted for more than 50 years. The CPS is the primary source of information on the labor force characteristics of the U.S. population.