Nonfarm payroll employment by state, seasonally adjusted, rose in 26 states and the District of Columbia and fell in 24 for the year ending in October, BLS reported today. Construction again showed more widespread growth, rising in 29 states and falling in 20. (There was no change in DC and data were not reported for Hawaii.) Six states had construction gains of at least 6%, led by Georgia and Louisiana (+9% each).
BLS released its annual estimates of occupational employment and wages for 2002 on Wednesday (www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.toc.htm). Average (mean) wages for construction and extraction were in the middle of the 22 major occupational groups, at $17.47. The report shows employment and mean and median hourly wages for 770 detailed occupational groups, including 58 in construction and extraction. Among the 58, the top three were elevator installers and repairers ($25.99), first-line supervisors/managers ($22.92), and pile-driver operators ($21.84). At the low end were helpers-for painters ($9.66), roofers ($9.85), and carpenters ($10.34).