Construction’s jobless rate continues to improve, dropping to 7% in September, its lowest level in more than six years, as the industry added 16,000 jobs in the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported.
According to the latest BLS monthly employment report, released on Oct. 3, construction’s jobless rate last month was down from August’s 7.7% and well below the September 2013 mark of 8.5%.
September’s 7% rate was the lowest since November 2007, when it stood at 6.2%.
Nearly all construction sectors added jobs in September, led by specialty trade contractors, which picked up 8,800 compared with August’s total. Buildings construction gained 6,200.
But heavy-civil engineering construction added only 500 positions and the nonresidential building segment’s total jobs were flat compared with August’s level.
Architectural and engineering services, which BLS categorizes separately from construction, saw jobs increase by 6,000 last month.