Construction employment increased by 25,000 jobs in May following an increase of 17,000 jobs in April, according to www.agc.org.
The construction industry unemployment rate decreased from 5.3 percent a year ago to 4.4 percent in May. This was the lowest rate of unemployment since July 2000. Construction employers have added 337,000 new jobs since January 2017.
"Construction workers and their employers are clearly benefitting from steps Congress and the administration are taking to boost economic demand," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America. "Construction pay, employment and demand have all increased as business conditions have improved."
Hourly earnings in the industry averaged $29.65 in May, an increase of 3.2 percent from 2017. The average hourly earnings in construction is 10.1 percent higher than the average for all nonfarm private-sector jobs, which rose to $26.92.
"It is no coincidence that pay, employment and demand are on the increase while taxes, regulations and infrastructure neglect are on the decrease," Sandherr said.
