Iowa has third-lowest construction jobless rate

Warm weather across Iowa in June spurred the normal amount of seasonal construction, tying the state with Idaho for the third-lowest construction unemployment rate in the nation.

Associated Builders and Contractors, a national construction industry trade association, said Iowa recorded 2.4 percent construction unemployment in June, down from 3.1 percent in May and 3.5 percent in June 2015.

The state's construction unemployment rate was significantly below the national average construction jobless rate of 4.6 percent, which was the lowest figure for that month since 2000.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed the construction industry employed 229,000 more people than in June 2015.

'The drop in the construction unemployment rate from June 2015 extends the uninterrupted monthly sequence of year-over-year rate decreases that started in October 2010,” said Bernard Markstein, president and chief economist of Markstein Advisors, who conducted the analysis for Associated Builders and Contractors.

'Starting in 2000, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for this series began, the June national construction unemployment rate has fallen from May every year except 2010 when it was unchanged.”

Construction projects in Iowa benefited from warm weather and fairly normal rainfall in June.

In Cedar Rapids, work has continued on the CRST tower in downtown Cedar Rapids as well as several housing projects in Kingston Village and New Bohemia. Apache, 4805 Bowling St. SW, on Monday marked completion of a 90,000-square-foot, $7.5 million expansion of its manufacturing operations.

In Iowa City, progress is evident on a number of University of Iowa projects, including the new Hancher Auditorium, the Voxman Music Building and a new art studio building.

Cedar Rapids's Paving for Progress road and infrastructure replacement program has construction crews working around the community, and a new 40,400-square-foot building for Burlington Stores is nearing completion at Westdale.