Dive Brief:
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Construction companies created 16,000 jobs in September, the Associated General Contractors of America reported Friday.
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The addition of those jobs brought the building industry’s unemployment rate to 7%, the lowest autumn joblessness rate in years.
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Construction firms employed more than 6 million crew members in September, more than any month since May 2009. Homebuilders and specialty trades grew their crews by 11,800 between August and September, while nonresidential builders hired 3,700 workers for the month.
Dive Insight:
Growth in construction employment isn’t all good news for the industry, which has had a tough time filling jobs during the housing recovery. The association has said there are too few vocational training programs cranking out qualified construction workers to take the place of those who left the industry during the recession to find work in other fields. A few hard hit areas are trying to change that with mobile apps and websites that cater exclusively to construction jobs and vocational programs, though it may take a while before the results of those projects are felt.