U.S. Construction Adds 17,000 Jobs in May as Nonresidential Hiring Offsets Residential Weakness
Updated
Updated · Construction Citizen · Jun 5
U.S. Construction Adds 17,000 Jobs in May as Nonresidential Hiring Offsets Residential Weakness
3 articles · Updated · Construction Citizen · Jun 5
Summary
Construction employment rose by 17,000 in May to 8.337 million, with nonresidential payrolls up 15,700 while residential added just 900 and remained down 33,300 from a year earlier.
Nonresidential construction jobs were up 101,500 year over year, led by specialty trade contractors, even as private nonresidential spending slipped 0.2% in April and manufacturing construction fell for a 14th straight month.
Labor demand stayed firm despite that uneven backdrop: construction had 259,000 job openings at the end of April, up 25% from a year earlier, while hires fell 7.4% and quits edged down to 1.7%.
Wage pressure also remained stronger than in the broader economy, with construction hourly earnings up 5.0% year over year to $38.97—20.6% above the private-sector average.
Across metro areas, job growth was broad but mixed: 192 of 360 markets gained construction jobs over the year, led by Houston, while Los Angeles posted the largest decline.