Construction Industry Employment Hits Five-Year High as Sector Adds 20,000 Jobs in August

Construction industry employment reached a five-year high in August as the sector added 20,000 jobs and its unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest rate for August in seven years, according to an analysis by AGC of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that the latest figures reinforce survey results the association recently released showing many contractors are having a tough time finding enough qualified workers. “Construction employment growth has been accelerating and is broad-based,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “The increase in the past 12 months was the largest since 2006 and was spread among residential, nonresidential building and heavy construction.” Read the full release here.