Construction Employment at Eight-Year High

Construction employment reached its level since November 2008, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Last month saw 6.7 million people employed in construction, an increase of 19,000 from October and an increase of 155,000 from a year ago. Residential construction added 19,600 jobs in November from one month earlier and 120,400, or 4.8 percent, compared to a year ago. Nonresidential building construction employment rose by 300 employees in November and 6,600 (0.9 percent) over the year. But heavy and civil engineering construction firms dropped 2,100 jobs for the month and 4,400 (-0.5 percent) since November 2015.

“This report shows the construction industry has the capacity to handle additional infrastructure work even as private nonresidential projects, apartments and homebuilding continue to go up,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The industry would be adding more high-paid jobs if local, state and federal officials were investing more to build new and repair aging infrastructure.”