Nationwide construction employment reached its highest level in almost eight years in September, the Idaho Business Review reported, citing figures from the Associated General Contractors of America.
Employment reached 6.669 million in September, the largest workforce since December 2008, when 6.7 million workers were employed. Average hourly earnings also grew during the month, up 2.8 percent over the year.
In addition, 474,000 people who were previously employed in construction were searching for jobs in September, the lowest reading for September in 16 years.
The ADP Regional Employment Report, released Wednesday, showed that the South had the largest job growth in the construction industry. Of the 154,000 jobs added in September, 74,000 of those were in the South, marking 0.17 percent growth, Builder Online reported. The West also saw significant job gains, with 0.15 percent growth.
Texas had the most construction job growth of any state, adding 24,900 jobs during September, according to the source. Florida added 18,800 jobs, while California added 17,400 positions. Idaho led the pack in terms of growth rate, with construction jobs in Idaho increasing by 0.32 percent, ahead of Utah at 0.28 percent.