Economy

Construction sector added 25,000 jobs in September

Written by David Schollaert

October 24, 2024

The construction sector added 25,000 jobs in September, driven by labor shortages and improved wages, according to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Repeated gains were seen across all subsectors, with wages continuing to outpace increases in the broader economy. Construction employment is up by 238,000 jobs, an increase of 3% vs. year-ago levels.

The construction industry added jobs for the fifth straight month, a theme driven by a limited workforce unable to keep pace with demand. It continues to boost the construction job market.

“Beyond the construction industry, this jobs report blew past expectations,” said Anirban Basu, ABC’s chief economist, noting, “US employers added 254,000 jobs for the month, the most since March.”

Nonresidential construction employment increased by 17,900 net positions, with growth in two of the three subcategories. Non-res specialty trade saw the largest boost with 17,000 added positions. Heavy and civil engineering added 3,800 jobs, while non-res building lost 2,900 positions.

“While the ongoing strength of the labor market and consumer spending indicates that the economy has weathered high interest rates better than anyone thought possible, the combination of rising household debt levels and economic uncertainty surrounding geopolitics and the looming election will potentially weigh on growth in the coming months,” added Basu.

The unemployment rate among jobseekers with construction experience was 3.7% in September, while unemployment across all industries decreased a percentage point from August to 4.1%.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is deputy editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. He can be contacted at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

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