Employment/Labor includes blogs about job openings, employment rates, residential construction wages, demographics in construction etc.
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning and generative AI (GenAI), is reshaping industries, creating new economic opportunities, and raising critical questions about its long-term impact on jobs and economic growth. A recent study by Ping Wang and Tsz-Nga Wong, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Technological Unemployment” (NBER Working Paper No. 33867, May…
Despite ongoing economic and policy uncertainty, the labor market remains resilient, though early signs of softening are beginning to emerge. Job growth moderated in May, and employment figures for March and April were notably revised downward. The unemployment rate remained at 4.2%. In May, wage growth remained unchanged. Year-over-year, wages grew at a 3.9% rate….
Wage growth in construction continued to decelerate in April on a national basis, but the differences across regional markets remain stark. Nationally, average hourly earnings (AHE) in construction increased 3.6% year-over-year and crossed the $39.3 mark when averaged across all payroll employees (non-seasonally adjusted, NSA). Meanwhile, average earnings in construction in Alaska and Massachusetts exceeded…
The count of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry held steady amid a slowdown for housing, per the April Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The number of open jobs for the overall economy increased slightly from 7.20 million in March to 7.39 million in April. This is notably smaller…
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 40 states in April compared to the previous month, while it decreased in 10 states and the District of Columbia. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 177,000 in April following a gain of 185,000 jobs in March. On a month-over-month basis, employment…
Half of payroll workers in construction earn more than $60,320 and the top 25% make at least $81,510, according to the latest May 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). In comparison, the U.S. median annual pay is $49,500, while the…
Wage growth for residential building workers continued to slow in March 2025, reflecting softening in the construction labor market, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). On a nominal basis, average hourly earnings (AHE) for residential building workers reached $38.76 in March 2025, up 4.5% from $37.10 a year…
