Eye On Housing
Job gains slowed sharply for the second straight month in December as the Omicron variant began to spread. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 199,000 in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%. Construction industry employment (both residential and non-residential) totaled 7.6 million, with 22,000 construction jobs added in December. Residential construction lost 4,100 jobs while non-residential construction employment rose by… Read More ›
The construction labor market remains tight, as the levels of quits rise. The count of open construction jobs declined to 345,000 unfilled positions in November, after recording the highest measure in the history of the data series (going back to late 2000), 445,000 in October. The housing market remains underbuilt and requires additional labor, lots and lumber and building materials… Read More ›
While job gains decelerated in November, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% and the labor force participation rate increased to 61.8%, the highest reading since March 2020. The increase in the labor force participation rate indicates that more people are returning to the labor force, a necessary requirement for additional hiring. Construction industry employment (both residential and non-residential) totaled 7.5… Read More ›
The labor market continues to tighten. In the September BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data, the national number of job quits for all sectors (4.4 million) was up 34% year-over-year as worker churn accelerates. Total national job openings stands at 10.4 million. What had been, in prior years, a challenge in certain sectors, like construction, continues as… Read More ›
Job gains picked up in October after two consecutive months of a slowdown. Total payroll employment rose by 531,000 and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.6% in October. Construction industry employment (both residential and non-residential) totaled 7.5 million, with 44,000 construction jobs added in October. Both residential construction (+10,900) and non-residential construction (+33,000) had job gains for the month. Residential… Read More ›
In the August labor market data, job openings for the overall economy remained elevated at 10.4 million open positions. What had been a challenge in certain sectors, like construction, continues as a broad labor access issue as businesses seek workers as the economy expands. The count of open construction jobs was stable at 344,000 unfilled positions, according to data from… Read More ›
Job gains slowed for the second straight month amid the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Total payroll employment rose by 194,000 in September and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.8%. For the coming months, job gains are expected to accelerate as COVID-19 cases began to subside. Despite the slowdown in total nonfarm payroll employment, aggregate construction industry (both residential and non-residential)… Read More ›
In the July labor market data, job openings for the overall economy increased to 10.9 million open positions. What had been a challenge in certain sectors, like construction, continues as a broad labor access issue as businesses seek workers as the economy reopens. The count of open construction jobs weakened in July to 321,000 unfilled positions, according to data from… Read More ›
Total payroll employment rose by 235,000 in August, marking a significant slowdown from the previous month. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% in August, the lowest point during the pandemic. In August, residential construction employment rose by 17,400, while non-residential construction lost 20,300 positions, reflecting declines in builders (-2,800), nonresidential specialty trade contractors (-9,200) and heavy and civil engineering… Read More ›
In July, U.S. job growth experienced a solid gain. Total payroll employment rose by 943,000 and the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 5.4%. The July data shows additional growth momentum at the beginning of the second half of the year. In the coming months, the surge of the Delta variant could affect the labor market as Covid-19 restrictions tighten to… Read More ›