Construction employment grew by 148,000 jobs since October 2018, a 2.0% year-over-year increase, according to an Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) analysis.
The industry added 10,000 jobs in October compared with September. The 2.0% year-over-year increase in construction employment was the slowest growth in almost seven years, according to AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson.
Although there is still a demand for construction, AGC officials said the demand is being undermined by uncertainty and tariffs in the ongoing trade disputes with China.
“The construction industry is still adding workers at a faster clip than the overall economy, but growth has slowed as private nonresidential and multifamily construction spending shrinks,” Simonson stated. “At the same time, public investment and a recent pickup in single-family homebuilding have helped employment to grow.”
The average hourly earnings in construction increased 2.4% from October 2018 to $30.95. That figure is 9.8% higher than the private sector average, according to AGC.
The full AGC October construction employment report can be found here.
