Eye On Housing
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 ›
The count of open construction jobs declined in May to 299,000 unfilled positions, according to data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The housing market remains hot and requires additional labor, lots and lumber and building materials to add inventory. Overall, hiring in the construction sector remained strong in May, ticking down to a 4.2% rate…. Read More ›
In June, total payroll employment rose by 850,000 and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.9%. The June employment data shows strong growth momentum as more than 154 million people are fully vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions on business are lifted. Residential construction employment increased by 15,200 in June, while nonresidential construction lost 22,600 jobs, following a decrease of 21,700… Read More ›
The count of open construction jobs increased in April to 357,000 unfilled positions, according to data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The housing market remains hot and requires additional labor, lots and lumber and building materials to add inventory. Overall, hiring in the construction sector slowed in April, declining to a 4.5% rate. The recent… Read More ›
Job gains accelerated in May as vaccination rates increased and COVID-19 restrictions lifted. Total payroll employment rose by 559,000 and the unemployment rate decreased to 5.8% in May. In May, non-residential construction lost 21,800 positions, reflecting declines in nonresidential specialty trade contractors (-16,800), while residential construction employment rose by 1,900. Currently, residential construction employment exceeds its level in February 2020,… Read More ›
Job gains unexpectedly slowed in April as states lifted COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and more people are vaccinated. Total payroll employment rose by only 266,000 and the unemployment rate increased to 6.1% in April. This was a surprisingly disappointing report on the macro level. Residential construction employment rose by 3,100 in April, after an increase of 28,700 in March. Non-residential… Read More ›