US Construction Employment Climbs in July

A closer look at Friday’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) nonfarm payroll report for July, with analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), shows that overall US construction employment rose by 22,000 in July, following a gain of 5,000 in June.

Within the industry, residential construction added 2,100 jobs, its first monthly increase in four months, while nonresidential construction added approximately 20,000.

As of July, residential construction employment stood at 3.3 million, including 914,600 builders and remodelers, down from 915,100 in June, and 2.3 million residential specialty trade contractors.

The six-month moving average for job gains in residential construction remained negative, with an average loss of approximately 5,350 jobs per month. Residential construction employment declined in four of the past six months.

Over the past year, residential construction recorded a net loss of 44,200 jobs, marking the 17th consecutive year-over-year decline. Since the post–Great Recession low, the sector has added 1,281,200 jobs, up from 1,279,100 in June.

The construction unemployment rate fell to 4.6% in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 6.2% in June. A year earlier, the rate stood at 4.2%.