Construction employment grew 2.1% year-over-year in September, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reported.
The 2.1% growth represents 156,000 hires over the past 12 months, the slowest year-over-year growth reported in six years, according to AGC. Construction companies added 7,000 jobs in September.
“Contractors foresee plenty of projects to bid on, and nearly three-fourths of firms expect to add workers during the next 12 months, but most are finding it hard to find qualified workers to hire,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson said in a statement. “That’s not surprising, given that the total unemployment rate hit a 50-year low in September—a sign that workers are hard to come by throughout the economy.”
Hourly construction earnings increased 2.2% year-over-year to $30.81, which is 9.7% higher than the private-sector average of $28.09.
The full AGC report can be found here.
