Chicago Construction News staff writer
The construction industry added 19,000 jobs on net in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Over the past year, construction employment has grown by 174,000 jobs, reflecting a 2.1% increase.
Nonresidential construction employment grew by 6,200 positions in February, with all three subcategories showing gains. Heavy and civil engineering led the way, adding 2,500 jobs, followed by nonresidential specialty trade, which gained 2,000 jobs. Nonresidential building saw an increase of 1,700 jobs.
“The February jobs report shows that contractors’ continued optimism, reflected in ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, is well-founded. With 19,000 new jobs added in February, the industry experienced its strongest month of growth since the third quarter of 2024,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu commented. “The uptick in the unemployment rate indicates that the labor supply is capable of supporting ongoing hiring.”
The construction unemployment rate rose to 7.2% in February, while the overall national unemployment rate edged up slightly from 4.0% in January to 4.1% in February.
Basu also noted that overall job growth in the U.S. was solid, with employers adding 151,000 jobs in February.
“After several weeks of concerning economic data and rising uncertainty, this stable jobs report is a welcome sign,” he said. “Federal government employment saw a decline of 10,000 jobs and may continue to drop, but it only makes up about 2 percent of total employment.
“While potential cuts in federal jobs and spending, along with growing uncertainty, could eventually affect construction activity, these impacts have not yet shown up in the employment data.”
