Construction Employment Declined by 16,000 Jobs Amid Cold Winter Weather in December

Construction employment declined by 16,000 in December but the industry unemployment rate fell to 11.4 percent, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America.  Association officials noted that the new employment data was likely impacted by cold weather, but also reflects underlying weakness in the construction sector. “Given the variability of weather, especially in winter, the downturn in December is not cause for alarm,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “The data does show how uneven the recovery remains with residential construction doing very well, but the public sector remains weak and private nonresidential construction is mixed.” Read the full release here.