Construction Sector Adds 5,000 Jobs Between August and September

Construction employers added 5,000 jobs in September while the industry's unemployment rate hit 11.9 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned that construction employment has been relatively flat for more than a year as growing demand for residential and some commercial projects has been offset by declining public sector construction activity. "Despite the slight uptick in construction employment for the past month, the industry is a bit smaller than it was one year ago," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "It appears that for every rebounding market segment, there is another one that is shrinking." Read the full press release here. The news was covered by The Wall Street Journal, Engineering News Record, New Mexico Business Weekly, Globe Street and The Real Deal.