The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, after increasing by 295,000 in 2005, construction employment was little changed in 2006. Over the year, gains in nonresidential specialty trades and in heavy construction were largely offset by a decline in residential specialty trades.
Since its peak in February 2006, residential specialty trade contracting has lost 104,000 jobs while its nonresidential counterpart has added 126,000 jobs.
