Despite a loss of 2,000 jobs in April, the nation’s construction unemployment rate fell to 14.5%, down from 17.2% in March and 17.8% in April 2011, according to the May 4 employment report by the U.S. Labor Department.

Year over year, the construction industry has added 63,000 jobs, or 1.1%.

The nonresidential building construction sector lost 1,100 jobs for the month but has added 6,000 jobs, a 0.9% increase year-over-year as April employment stood at 658,400.

Residential building construction employment slipped by 2,500 jobs last month, but employment is still up by 700 jobs, as employment stood at 566,000 in April.

“The plunge in the unemployment rate for former construction workers from 17.8 percent in April 2011 and 21.8 percent two years ago is good news for them,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractors. “Unfortunately, few of them have found jobs in construction, which actually employed 1,000 fewer workers than it did in April 2010.”