US Construction Employment Rises in September

A closer look at Thursday’s delayed Bureau of Labor Statistics nonfarm payroll report for September, with analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), shows that overall US construction employment rose by 19,000 in September after three consecutive months of job losses. Within the industry, residential construction added 3,100 jobs, while nonresidential construction gained 16,300.

As of September, residential construction employment stood at 3.3 million, including 954,000 builders and remodelers and 2.4 million residential specialty trade contractors.

The six-month moving average for job gains in residential construction remained negative at 3,767 jobs per month, reflecting losses in four of the past six months.

Over the past year, residential construction recorded a net loss of 44,900 jobs, marking the fifth annual decline since September 2020. Since the post–Great Recession low, the sector has added 1,340,000 jobs.

The construction unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis.