Construction posted its eighth straight monthly jobs gain, recording a strong increase of 28,000 positions in December, but the industry’s unemployment rate showed mixed results, the Labor Dept.’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported. In its latest monthly look at the nation’s employment picture, released on Dec. 6, BLS said all construction sectors added jobs, led by nonresidential specialty trade contractors, which gained 10,200.
Residential specialty trade contractors’ payrolls rose by 6,400 and nonresidential building was up by 5,800. Heavy and civil engineering construction employment also increased, though by a modest 1,900. BLS also noted that construction employment climbed by an average of 19,000 per month in 2022, up from an average of 16,000 in 2021.
