Construction: NAICS 23

On this page

• About the Construction sector
• BLS Data
• Workforce Statistics
• Earnings and Hours
• Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses
• Workplace Trends
• Other BLS Resources

The construction sector is part of the goods-producing industries supersector group.

The construction sector consists of these subsectors:

• Construction of Buildings: NAICS 236
• Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction: NAICS 237
• Specialty Trade Contractors: NAICS 238

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in construction. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, job openings and labor turnover, union membership and representation, gross job gains and losses, mass layoffs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, Layoffs, and Openings, Hires, and Separations

Data series	Back data	Mar. 2008	Apr. 2008	May 2008	Jun. 2008
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		7,343	7,284	(P) 7,247	(P) 7,204
Employment, production workers (seasonally adjusted)		5,669	5,611	(P) 5,575	(P) 5,536
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		12.0%	11.1%	8.6%	8.2%
Layoffs
Mass layoff events		119	112	167
Initial claimants for unemployment benefits		7,891	8,106	12,411
Job openings, hires, and separations (in thousands)
Job openings		102	(P) 119
Hires		375	(P) 499
Separations		326	(P) 347
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Mass Layoff Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		14.7%	13.1%	13.0%	13.9%
Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		15.4%	13.8%	13.6%	14.4%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Dynamic Changes in Employment

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2006	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007
Dynamic changes in employment (in thousands)
Gross job gains		825	850	814	762
Gross job losses		845	816	855	869

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007	1st quarter 2008
Extended mass layoff events		191	187	(P) 682	(P) 291
Separations		20,673	17,315	(P) 86,848	(P) 30,767
Initial claimants		26,179	28,059	(P) 100,624	(P) 30,585
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for construction.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours for production or nonsupervisory employees, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in construction. This section also contains information on the average cost of benefits paid by employers, as well as recent rates of change in wages and total compensation.

Earnings and Hours of Production Workers

Data series	Back data	Mar. 2008	Apr. 2008	May 2008	Jun. 2008
Average hourly earnings		$21.56	$21.60	(P) $21.69	(P) $21.72
Average weekly hours		38.9	38.9	(P) 38.6	(P) 38.8
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	Median weekly earnings
		2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Full-time workers		$618	$619	$642	$673
Members of unions		$893	$933	$969	$1,000
Represented by unions		$884	$926	$956	$993
Nonunion		$588	$590	$610	$624

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Employer Compensation Costs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007	1st quarter 2008
12-month percent change
Total compensation		3.9%	3.8%	3.9%	4.0%
Wages and salaries		3.9%	4.0%	4.0%	3.9%

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

Data series	Back data	1st quarter 2008
		Compensation component ($ per hour worked)	Percent of total compensation
Compensation costs
Total compensation		30.12	100.0
Wages and salaries		20.88	69.3
Total benefits		9.24	30.7
Insurance		2.22	7.4
Retirement		1.52	5.1

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in construction. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

This section presents data on the number of establishments and the number of establishments experiencing job gains or job losses in construction.

Establishments

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2006	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007
Number of establishments
Private industry		888,582	(P) 883,957	(P) 891,904	(P) 895,543
Local government		4,537	(P) 4,556	(P) 4,551	(P) 4,553
State government		1,811	(P) 1,808	(P) 1,807	(P) 1,808
Federal government		2	(P) 2	(P) 2	(P) 2
Establishments with changes in employment (in thousands)
With job gains (seasonally adjusted)		222	220	213	209
With job losses (seasonally adjusted)		228	226	240	237
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

The Editor's Desk

See industry studies in the subject matter index of The Editor's Desk (Current Edition).

Monthly Labor Review

See construction in the Index of the Monthly Labor Review Online (Current Issue).

Career Guide to Industries

See construction in the Career Guide to Industries.