Construction’s September unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 5.2%, from 5.1% in August, but fell from 5.6% for September 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last month’s rate was the lowest September figure for the industry in the past decade. The bureau’s monthly employment report, released on Oct. 7, also showed that the construction workforce gained 23,000 jobs in September. All but one construction segment posted job increases last month, led by residential building, which picked up 7,900 positions, and residential specialty trade contractors, which added 7,800. Heavy-civil engineering construction gained 4,300 jobs. Non-residential building was the only segment that lost jobs in September, recording a decline of 4,200. Architectural and engineering services, which BLS categorizes separately from construction, added 1,500 positions in September.
Construction Unemployment Continues Downward Trend
![Construction Unemployment Rate](http://www.enr.com/ext/resources/Issues/National_Issues/2016/Oct-2016/17-Oct/1017_Unemployment.jpg?1476288890)