Construction Unemployment Rate Falls

The unemployment rate for construction workers fell to the lowest July level in five years, even though employment has stagnated in the past four months, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials urged Washington leaders to act on stalled infrastructure funding measures to help jump start construction hiring. The unemployment rate for workers who last worked in construction declined to 9.1 percent from 12.3 percent in July 2012, not seasonally adjusted, and the number of unemployed construction workers dropped by 227,000 to 767,000. Construction employment in July totaled 5,793,000, seasonally adjusted, up by 166,000, or 3 percent, from July 2012 but down by 6,000 from the revised June level. Although residential and nonresidential contractors have added workers in the past year, employment growth in July occurred only on the residential side.