Construction Employment Rose by 31K in November

Washington, DC, December 9, 2021-Construction employment increased by 31,000 jobs between October and November as nonresidential construction firms added workers for the third month in a row, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data.

Association officials said construction firms were likely to have added even more jobs if they could find more qualified workers to hire with many firms reporting a growing number of unfilled positions.

Construction employment in November totaled 7,533,000, an increase of 31,000 since October and the highest seasonally adjusted figure since March 2020. However, industry employment still trails the pre-pandemic peak, set in February 2020, by 115,000 positions.

Nonresidential construction firms added 20,800 employees in November, following a pickup of 34,600 in October. The category comprises nonresidential building contractors, which added 5,900 employees; specialty trade contractors, with a gain of 6,800 workers; and heavy and civil engineering construction firms, with 8,100 more workers than in October, But nonresidential employment remains 209,000 below the February 2020 level, as the sector has recovered only 67% of the jobs lost in the first two months of the pandemic.

Residential construction added 10,300 employees in November. Residential building contractors such as homebuilders and general contractors that concentrate on multifamily construction, added 4,100 workers during the month, while residential specialty trade contractors added 6,200 employees. Residential employment in November exceeded the February 2020 mark by 95,000 positions.

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