Steel Markets
December 4, 2020
Construction Employment Benefits from Strong Residential Sector
Written by Sandy Williams
Construction employment gained 27,000 jobs in November due to continued strength in residential home building. Jobs in nonresidential increased at a slower rate due to pandemic-induced project cancellations, said the Associated General Contractors of America.
The disparity between residential and nonresidential construction widened in November, said AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. Residential building and specialty trade contractors added 15,400 jobs in November and have now recouped 96 percent of the employment losses they incurred in March and April. In contrast, nonresidential construction employment—comprising nonresidential building, specialty trades, and heavy and civil engineering construction—increased by only 11,900 jobs in November and has recovered only 56 percent of the jobs lost in March and April.
