Construction Employment Statistics
- Until recently, construction was one of
America’s fastest-growing fields of
employment. Between 2004 and 2006,
construction was among the leading
contributors to job growth in the U.S.
- The boom in housing between 2003 and
2006 added over a million jobs to the
industry.
- In 2006, there were 7.7 million wage and
salary construction workers.
- Construction employment peaked in
September 2006, and then began falling as
the housing bubble popped. Between
September 2006 and May 2008, 457,000
construction jobs were lost.
- In 2006, approximately 64 percent of
wage and salary construction jobs were in
specialty trades such as plumbing, heating
and masonry. An additional 24 percent
were in building construction, with the
remainder in heavy and civil engineering
construction.
- Construction workers have higher
occupational injury rates than those in many
other professions, due to potentially
dangerous equipment and working
environments. In 2006, there were 5.9 cases
of occupational illness or injury for every
100 construction workers. The rate for the
private sector as a whole is 4.4 cases.
- Workers employed by foundation,
structure, and building exterior contractors
had the highest injury rates in 2006.
Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/opub/ils/pdf/opbils62.pdf
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs003.htm
http://www.cnbc.com/id/24428440
