Construction employment grew by 146,000 over the past 12 months, an increase of 2.0%, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
Construction employment increased by 1,000 jobs in November.
“Contractors report they remain busy and have lots of projects on their order books,” AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson stated. “But they find it extremely difficult to fill many positions despite paying more than other industries.” Average hourly earnings in the construction industry jumped 2.7% year-over-year to $31.08, 10.2% higher than the private sector average.
The unemployment rate hit a 50-year low in November, and all industries are likely competing for workers, according to AGC.
The full AGC report can be found here.
