Construction Unemployment Drops to 13.2 Percent, Lowest April Mark in Five Years

The unemployment rate for construction workers fell to the lowest April level in five years as contractors added more than 150,000 employees in the past year despite a dip in employment last month, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America. Association officials noted that, despite the monthly drop, the industry is likely to continue adding jobs for much of 2013. "It is heartening to see that both nonresidential and residential segments of the construction industry added significant numbers of workers in the last 12 months, even though gains from March to April were limited to the residential side," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Other indicators, such as the continuing growth in architectural and engineering employment, suggest that demand for construction will expand further." Read the full press release here.