Contact: Kyle Schwarm, 608-244-5883; kschwarm@abcwi.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Construction unemployment in Wisconsin was at 3.8% in April, a near record low for the month. The estimated not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rates are from an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).
The 3.8% rate for the state is a drop of 0.9% from April 2018’s rate of 4.7% and a drop of 1.2% from the March 2019 rate. Wisconsin is tied for 16th best among all states for April. Meanwhile, the national NSA construction unemployment rate is at 4.7%, which is down 1.8% from a year ago, according to BLS numbers.
“The April construction employment numbers reflect the continued impact of the construction industry on the economy throughout the country,” said Bernard M. Markstein, Ph.D., president and chief economist of Markstein Advisors, who conducted the analysis for ABC. “Reflecting this strength, unemployment rates in April were lower compared to a year ago in all states with the sole exception of Mississippi. This was only the second time in the history of these state estimated construction unemployment rates that rates fell in every state but one on a year-over-year basis. The previous time was in March of this year.”
Because these industry-specific rates are not seasonally adjusted, national and state-level unemployment rates are best evaluated on a year-over-year basis. The monthly movement of the rates still provides some information, although extra care must be used in drawing conclusions from these variations.
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ABOUT ABC OF WISCONSIN
Associated Builders and Contractors is a national trade association, representing more than 21,000 merit contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, manufacturers and construction-related professionals. With 881 members, the Wisconsin chapter is the largest in the country. ABC members support the merit philosophy which stresses open competition and the free enterprise system and believe the best construction projects are those built on merit. To learn more about ABC of Wisconsin, visit www.abcwi.org.
