Nonresidential Construction Adds Nearly 5,000 Jobs in November
The U.S. construction industry added 20,000 jobs in November, with nonresidential construction contributing 4,900 of them, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate released Dec. 5. October’s overall construction estimate was revised downward from 12,000 to 7,000 net new jobs and nonresidential construction lost 2,100 jobs in October, after revisions.
“Nonresidential construction added nearly 5,000 jobs in November and the outlook remains positive,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “It is important to note that the greatest constraint on nonresidential job growth may no longer be a lack of demand for construction services, but rather a lack of supply of sufficiently skilled workers. Growing demand for human capital coupled with tighter labor markets strongly suggests that industry wage pressures will expand in 2015, perhaps to the extent that margins will be rendered too thin for many firms, even in the face of rising demand for services.