Construction employment increases in 224 metro areas, says AGC
Construction employment expanded in 224 metro areas from November 2013 to November 2014, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. The AGC also reported that construction employment declined in 64 areas and was stagnant in 51 for the same period. Association officials said contractors in many parts of the country were benefitting from growing demand, yet labor shortages threaten to undermine the sector's recovery.
"It is good news that construction employment is now rising in two-thirds of the nation's metro areas," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association. "But now that the unemployment rate for construction workers has fallen to a seven-year low, it has become a major challenge to find qualified workers in many fields."