Construction Employment in February at Highest Level Since November 2008

Construction employment in February increased by 58,000 jobs to 6.88 million compared with January employment of 6.82 million, the highest level since November 2006. The February figure also represents a 3.3 percent increase compared with construction employment in February 2016 of 6.66 million jobs, according to The Associated General Contractors of America.

Part of the increase is due to the “exceptionally” mild weather conditions across the country in February, but the job growth reflects the trend seen since last spring, said Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist, in a statement.

“These numbers match what many contractors have been telling the association—that demand remains strong for a variety of construction projects and that firms are still hiring, when they can find qualified workers,” he said.

Residential construction added 18,900 jobs month-over-month and 136,200 jobs year-over-year in February. Nonresidential construction added 38,500 employees month-over-month and 82,600 year-over-year.

Average hourly earnings in construction in February were $28.48, more than 9 percent the general private sector average.