Construction firms added 24,000 employees in February, as hefty pay raises for hourly workers enabled the industry to increase employment more steeply than other sectors, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials said that while employment levels are now at record levels in the industry, future job gains will be hard given the lack of people who have been exposed to construction career opportunities.
“Average hourly earnings for craft and office workers in construction have consistently risen more sharply than across the private sector as a whole for several months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “That has helped the industry add employees at a strong clip—but many more are still needed.”
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