Best month for construction jobs in 4 years

March 6th, 2011
Jon Lansner

Are things improving for construction workers? Here’s an analysis of February employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America …

U.S. construction industry added 33,000 jobs in February — largest monthly gain in construction employment since March 2007.

Largest gains? Nonresidential specialty trade sector, added 16,700 jobs in the month; residential specialty trade contractors added 11,000 jobs.

Losers? Just nonresidential building, down 2,000 jobs.

Still, Industry’s unemployment rate was 21.8 percent.

Construction employment is down 2.2 million jobs from the industry’s April 2006 peak.

Ken Simonson, AGCA economist: “Given what this industry has been through, figures like these are as welcome as they are long overdue … The question now is whether these figures reflect a thaw in economic conditions for the industry, or the benefits of warmer weather and less snow in many parts of the country in February.â€