US Construction Adds 17,000 May Jobs as Hourly Pay Rises 5.0% on Data Center Demand
Updated
Updated · mecktimes.com · Jun 25
US Construction Adds 17,000 May Jobs as Hourly Pay Rises 5.0% on Data Center Demand
1 articles · Updated · mecktimes.com · Jun 25
Summary
17,000 jobs were added in May, lifting U.S. construction employment to 8.337 million as the industry outpaced the broader labor market’s modest hiring.
Nonresidential firms drove nearly all of the gain, adding 15,700 jobs in May and 101,500 over 12 months, with contractors citing data centers, power projects and manufacturing work.
Hourly pay for construction production and nonsupervisory workers reached $38.97, up 5.0% from a year earlier and 20.6% above the private-sector average.
Residential hiring was far weaker: the sector added 900 jobs in May but remained down 33,300 from a year earlier, including an 8,200 decline at residential building contractors.
Industry officials said future growth could slow if community opposition curbs data center projects or if Congress misses a September deadline for a new highway and transit bill.