Construction unemployment rate low in Iowa

Iowa was tied with Maryland in April for the seventh lowest construction unemployment rate in the nation at 3.6 percent.

The Associated Builders and Contractors, a national industry trade association, earlier this year began compiling construction unemployment statistics on a state-by-state basis.

The national construction unemployment rate was 7.5 percent in April, down 1.9 percent from 9.4 percent in April 2014. Wyoming, with 1.3 percent construction unemployment, had the lowest rate and West Virginia at 11.1 percent had the highest rate.

The national economy, along with the construction economy, struggled through the first quarter as the nation was battered by unusually harsh weather. Indications show that with better weather, the economy and construction are rebounding.

For the first four months of the year, non-seasonally adjusted construction spending was 4.1 percent higher than the same period a year ago, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors. Among the big gainers in construction spending in the first quarter of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014 were manufacturing (42 percent), lodging (15.9 percent), office (18.5 percent), commercial (16.7 percent) and multifamily (26.3 percent).

With the improving weather and economy, hiring in construction has also increased.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that April seasonally adjusted construction jobs for the United States increased by

45,000 and that year-to-date construction jobs were up 108,000.