Construction employment in the US increased by 51,000 workers in December, but this may be temporary hiring, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (ACG).
ACG noted that employment in the sector rose by 0.7pc over November but was down by 3pc from December 2019. In its 2021 outlook survey, the association said that 78pc of its 1,300 contractors reported a project that was cancelled or postponed this year.
Unemployment rates in the sector doubled in 2020 to 9.6pc from 5pc at the end of 2019. The ACG said that while residential construction has weathered the storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-residential part of the industry continues to suffer due to constrained budgets in public utility spending.