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November 2011, Vol. 134, No. 11
Construction employment: a visual essay
Benjamin Cover
This essay was prepared by Benjamin Cover, an economist in the Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Phone: (202) 691-6505. Email: cover.benjamin@bls.gov.
Construction occupations accounted for 4.9 million jobs in May 2010, down from 6.5 million in May 2006 when employment in construction-related occupations reached a peak. Since then, employment has declined among establishments whose primary output was construction or construction trade services and among workers performing construction-related activities in any industry. Employment in 40 of the 46 construction occupations decreased over this time, with some occupations declining by half. The employment declines were more extreme in some industries than others. Employment declines were often steeper among the lower-paid construction helper occupations.
Occupational Employment Statistics
Construction employment peaks before the recession and falls sharply throughout it—Apr. 2011.
U.S. housing bubble and bust: impacts on employment, The.—Dec. 2010.
Compensation of residential and nonresidential construction workers.—Apr. 2010.
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