Construction employment in the U.S. reached its highest level in September since 2008, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Employers in the industry added 23,000 jobs in September compared with the previous month, the association reported.
State Construction Employment
Associated General Contractors of America map shows how construction employment changed state by state from August 2015 to August 2016.
“Demand for construction remains quite strong but contractors continue to struggle to find qualified workers,” Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist, said in a news release. “The monthly declines the industry experienced during the summer were likely caused by worker shortages instead of shortages of work for many firms.”
The September jobs totaled 6.669 million, which was 218,000 more than the previous September, a 3.4 percent increase, the association reported. The jobs hadn’t numbered that high since December 2008, when there were 6.701 million jobs.
Average hourly pay for construction workers increased 2.8 percent compared with September 2015, the report said.