Unemployment Declines as Nearly 700,000 Former Construction Workers Have Left the Industry Since 2009, Which Will Make it Difficult for Firms to Find Workers When the Economy Expands Again Construction employment declined by 1,000 in July even though the industry's unemployment rate fell to the lowest level since 2008, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The sector's unemployment rate has steadily declined since 2009 as hundreds of thousands of out-of-work construction workers have left the industry seeking other opportunities, the association's economist cautioned. “Employment levels in the construction industry … Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Even with many obstacles preventing a full-scale recovery for the overall U.S. economy, the design and construction industry appears to have reasons to be at least modestly optimistic in the coming months and into next year. A sharp spike in demand for industrial facilities so far this year, along with sustained demand for hotels and retail projects factors into what projects to be a 4.4 percent rise in spending this year for nonresidential construction projects — up from a projection of a 2.1 percent increase in the January Consensus Forecast. The American Institute of Architects semi-annual Consensus … Read more