Construction employment increased in December 2011 by 17,000, driven by gains in nonresidential construction employment, according the Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.
AGC officials said that construction employment likely benefited from unseasonably warm weather across much of the country that extended the building season.
“Nonresidential construction is clearly driving [December’s] employment gains,” said Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist. “But it is too early to tell whether those gains came because the weather was good enough for crews to keep working well into December or because demand is truly rebounding.”
Total construction employment now stands at 5,544,000, or 0.3% higher than a month earlier and 46,000 (0.8%) higher than December 2010, Simonson said. He added that the latest employment figures continue a months-long trend of slight gains followed by slight declines in construction employment, and that overall construction employment is still far below its peak level of 7,726,000 in April 2006. Despite the employment increase in December 2011, the industry’s unemployment rose in December to 16%, up from 13.1% in November.
Simonson said nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 20,200 positions, while heavy and civil engineering construction firms that perform the majority of publicly funded construction work shed 300 jobs. Nonresidential building contractors shed 2,700 jobs in December. Residential construction lost 400 total jobs, as the residential specialty trade contractors shed 2,900 jobs and residential builders added only 2,500 positions in December.
Related Stories
| May 11, 2014
Final call for entries: 2014 Giants 300 survey
BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 survey forms are due Wednesday, May 21. Survey results will be published in our July 2014 issue. The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
| May 10, 2014
How your firm can gain an edge on university projects
Top administrators from five major universities describe how they are optimizing value on capital expenditures, financing, and design trends—and how their AEC partners can better serve them and other academic clients.
| May 9, 2014
It's official: Norman Foster-designed Harmon hotel and casino to be razed due to structural issues
Construction of the Las Vegas tower was halted in 2008 after experts discovered faulty steel beams in the structure. Now its owner, MGM, has received permission to demolish the building.
| May 9, 2014
5 trends transforming higher education
Performance-based funding models and the adoption of advanced technologies like augmented reality for teaching are just a few of the predictions offered by CannonDesign's higher education sector leader, Brad Lukanic.
| May 9, 2014
40 Under 40: Where are they now?
BD+C catches up with two past U40 honorees: Matt Dumich of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and David Montalba of Montalba Architects
| May 8, 2014
Perfecting prefab: 8 tips for healthcare construction projects
Leading AEC firms offer helpful advice for using BIM to pull off prefab for everything from MEP infrastructure to whole bathrooms.
| May 8, 2014
Don’t bother planning for the future - it doesn’t care about you
Though strategic planning has helped many businesses move forward, its time has passed. So says Economist and Author Bill Conerly. SPONSORED CONTENT
| May 8, 2014
Infographic: 4 most common causes of construction site fatalities
In honor of Safety Week, Skanska put together this nifty infographic on how to prevent deadly harm in construction.
| May 8, 2014
Sporting events in style: Infographic showcases novel stadiums of the world
UK precast concrete maker Banagher, which specializes in precast stadia solutions, has assembled a list of the world's top stadiums in terms of architectural and structural design.