Construction Added 9,000 Jobs in April, Wages Hit $38.73/Hr

The Associated General Contractors of America released its April analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data, showing the construction industry added 9,000 jobs last month. Nonresidential sectors led the gains while residential employment declined. Average hourly earnings for construction workers reached $38.73, continuing an upward trend that has held steady across recent reporting periods. The piece includes AGC officials’ commentary on what the numbers signal for workforce conditions heading into summer.

The residential pullback is the number worth tracking here. Nonresidential can carry the headline figure, but when residential subs start losing work, they go hunting in the commercial and industrial markets, sometimes aggressively. That means more competition for trade coverage on your bids, but also more availability from subs who were fully booked six months ago. At $38.73 average hourly pay, labor cost escalation is real and still moving. If your subcontractor bids are coming in soft right now, don’t assume that holds through Q3. Subs pricing April work are not pricing August work at the same number.

Read the full story at AGC News.