The construction industry added 11,000 jobs on net in September, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 109,000 jobs, or 1.3%.
Nonresidential construction employment increased by 16,100 positions in September, with gains in all three subcategories. Nonresidential specialty trade added the most jobs, growing by 12,300 positions, while heavy and civil engineering and nonresidential building added 2,600 and 1,200 jobs, respectively.
The construction unemployment rate was 3.5% last month. Unemployment across all industries increased to 4.2% but was 0.2 percentage points lower than one year ago.
“The construction industry added jobs for the seventh straight month in September,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Industry employment growth is increasingly concentrated on the nonresidential side as the data center boom continues to support rapid hiring of certain specialty trade contractors.
“At the same time, the residential segment continues to hemorrhage workers, and that side of the industry has now shed 1.0% of its employment base over the past year,” he noted. “Contractor hiring expectations remain elevated, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index—an outlook that seems justified given the insatiable demand for new data centers.”
Visit abc.org/economics for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index, plus analysis of spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index.
About Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and 24,000 members. Founded on the merit-shop philosophy, ABC helps members offer a robust employee value proposition, develop people, win work, and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work.
 of new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 109,000 jobs, or 1.3%.){kind=link}