A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics April Nonfarm Payroll report reveals that overall construction sector employment increased by 15,000 in April. This follows a reported 11,000 jobs lost in March.
News in end use
Canadian Employment Increased in April; Unemployment Continued to Hold Steady
Statistics Canada reported Friday that employment in Canada increased by 41,000 jobs, or 0.2%, in April. Since February 2023, monthly employment growth has averaged 33,000.
US Nonfarm Payroll Increases by 253,000 in April; Unemployment Inches Lower to 3.4%
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 253,000 in April. In the prior six months, job growth saw an average monthly gain of 290,000.
30-Year Mortgage Rate Moves Lower; 15-Year Rate Inches Higher
Freddie Mac has released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® for the week ending May 4th. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.39%, up from last week when it averaged 6.43%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year rate averaged 5.27%.
Private Sector Job Cuts Down Month-Over-Month but Up Year-Over-Year in April
According to the Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Job Cuts Report released Thursday, US-based employers announced 66,995 job cuts in April. This is down 25% from 89,703 announced cuts in March. However, it is up 176% from the 24,286 cuts announced in April 2022.
US Weekly Jobless Claims Increase for the Week Ending April 29th
The US Department of Labor is reporting that the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 242,000 during the week ending on Saturday, April 29th. This is an increase of 13,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 229,000.
US Census Bureau Releases 2023Q1 Quarterly Residential Vacancies and Homeownership Report
According to the report, the US national vacancy rate in Q1 was 6.4% for rental housing and 0.8% for homeowner housing. The rental vacancy rate was higher than the rate in 2022Q1, when it was 5.8%, and higher than the 2022Q4 rate, which was also 5.8%.
Construction Sector Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Results for April
A closer look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for March with a focus on the construction sector reveals that the construction labor market saw a decline in the number of job openings in March.
Mortgage Applications Decline in the Week Ending April 28th
According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Application Survey for the week ending April 28th, the Market Composite Index decreased 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.
ADP® Reports Private Sector Employment Gains but Reduced Compensation in April
According to the ADP® National Employment Report™ released Wednesday, nonfarm private sector employment increased by 296,000 jobs in April, and annual pay was up 6.7% year-over-year.