Construction Jobs See a Slight Uptick

Employment in residential building has declined on net by almost 6,000 jobs since the start of 2011. The decline in residential building jobs is in line with the weak growth in housing construction, as housing starts have fallen almost 18 percent between January and April. Courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics

Residential construction employment rose a respectable 8,200 jobs (0.4 percent) in May, with a 14,100 jobs increase in residential specialty trade contractors; however, this was offset somewhat by a net decline of 5,900 residential building jobs.

Residential construction employment has seen steady improvement since November 2010, rising in six of the past seven months, with 21,700 jobs added since the beginning of the year. However, this growth has occurred entirely within the home improvement and maintenance sectors, with employment in residential specialty trade contractors increasing by 27,500 jobs.

Manufacturing employment fell by 5,000 jobs after an average monthly gain of over 25,000 jobs the previous six months. Retail employment declined by 8,200 jobs in May following a 64,000 jobs increase in April.

- Courtesy of NAHB