Construction Employment Grew in 42 States & DC YOY in Nov.

Arlington, VA, December 27, 2018-Forty-two states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between November 2017 and November 2018, while 23 states added construction jobs between October and November, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data.

Association officials said extremely low unemployment rates in most of the nation have made it hard for contractors in many states to continue adding workers, despite strong demand for projects.

Chief economist Ken Simonson economist noted that job openings in construction totaled 292,000 at the end of October, a jump of 59,000 or 25% from a year earlier and the highest October level in the 18 years that the Labor Department has published the series. The number of unemployed jobseekers with recent construction experience-352,000-was the lowest yet for that month. Together, these figures suggest contractors in many states cannot find experienced workers to fill vacancies.

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