Recent government employment data suggest a pickup in construction sector job openings over the last half year. While consistent with the uptick in construction sector activity, particularly in home building, the data reflect only modest increases in employment thus far.
For the construction sector, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that hiring levels continue to be strong enough to create net jobs (hiring minus separations). Hiring in construction totaled 319,000 in January 2013. Hiring for the sector has exceed 300,000 per month for 22 of the last 24 months.