The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 64,000 construction jobs were lost during September. However, the overall job outlook for construction jobs has improved since last year.
"Job losses averaged 66,000 per month from May through September, compared with an average of 117,000 per month from November 2008 through April," a prepared statement for Congress from Keith Hall, director of the BLS, said.
The decline in construction employment accounted for a little more than 24 percent of all jobs lost during the month. Overall, 263,000 jobs were lost during September, which led the unemployment rate to increase by 0.1 percentage points to 9.8 percent.
Manufacturing also saw a fall in employment. The BLS reported that 51,000 factory jobs were lost in September.
The statistics from the government jell with numbers released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA). The AGCA noted that 96 percent of metropolitan areas in the country experienced losses in construction jobs from August 2008 to the same month in 2009. Of the 337 metropolitan areas examined, 324 saw construction employment declines.
