Construction Employment in US Reaches Record High

US construction employment has hit a three-year record high.

With jobs growing by 48,000 in February this year, the US construction sector has experienced improvement in employment figures for the ninth consecutive month.

Assembled by the Associated General Contractors of America, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest data analysis illustrates that sustained health improvements to the sector have resulted in employment levels hitting their highest level in about three and a half years.

According to the data, employment figures the US construction industry was at their lowest position in January 2011, with 5.44 million employed workers. Job numbers for the sector have been steadily embarking on an upward trajectory since then.

US Construction Employment

In February, construction sector job numbers increased to 5.78 million people, which is a monthly gain of 48,000 or 12-month gain of 140,000, or 2.5 percent. September 2009 was the last time the industry's employment figures reached this level.

While a seasonal unemployment rise is characteristic for February, the not seasonally adjusted year-over-year unemployment level fell to 15.7 percent in February 2013 from 17.1 percent in February 2012.

Improvements are being witnessed throughout the building industry, according to the Associated General Contractors of America's chief economist, Ken Simonson.

"The job gains are coming from every part of the construction industry and while the sector's unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, it is heading in the right direction," he said.

Both non-residential and residential construction experiences yearly and monthly increases.

Encompassing specialty trade and building contractors, residential construction observed numbers rise by 19,400 month-on-month in February and 64,200 year-over-year.

For non-residential construction, which includes civil and heavy engineering construction, watched numbers crunch up in February by 29,000 for the month and 75,700 for the year.

Despite the sustained nine-month increase in job numbers, employment figures are nonetheless way under peak levels from 2006 and 2007, when 7.77 million people in America were employed in the construction sector.