The construction industry added 23,000 jobs in February—the most since August—as a strong gain in employment at nonresidential contractors offset a small decline at residential firms, according to an analysis of new government data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials noted that new figures on the number of job openings in the industry underscore the challenges firms are having finding enough qualified people to hire amid strong demand.
“Nonresidential contractors stepped up their hiring in February,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But job-openings and spending data released earlier this month suggests hiring would be even more robust if construction firms could find enough qualified workers.”
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