Construction employment: Alaska's resillence.

• Author: Davidson, Paul
• Position: ALASKA TRENDS

Construction employment statistics are gathered by the United State Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau. The US construction industry is supported by more self-employed workers than most, with 60.9 percent of construction managers and 44.9 percent of painters and paper-hangers self-employed.

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The recent recession beginning at the end of 2007 significantly decreased new construction However, rising energy costs have driven growth in energy efficiency renovations to existing buildings.

US construction employment exhibits significant seasonal variation with a 10 percent average increase from January to August. Between 2006 and 2011, US construction employment suffered a 28 percent decrease, significantly more than its 10 percent...