The construction industry added 48,000 jobs in February, the ninth consecutive month of job growth for the sector, as more people are working in construction than at any point in the past three-and-a-half years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned, however, that employment gains remain tenuous and could be undermined if Washington officials fail to reach a deal on federal investment levels later this month.“With construction employment increasing by the largest amount for a single month in nearly six years, the steady improvement in construction hiring is particularly encouraging,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “The job gains are coming from every part of the construction industry and while the sector’s unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, it is heading in the right direction.”Construction firms employed 5.78 million people in February, a gain of 48,000 from January and 140,000 or 2.5 percent from a year ago, Simonson noted. The industry unemployment rate, which is not seasonally adjusted and thus is typically high in February, fell from 17.1 percent in February 2012 to 15.7 percent last month.
