Department of Labor reports big job cuts in construction, manufacturing for June

The U.S. lost 43,000 construction jobs last month, according to the June jobs report from the Department of Labor.

The net loss of 493,000 construction jobs since 2007 nearly equals the amount of jobs lost in the manufacturing industry — which is almost twice the size of the construction industry — during the same time period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In June, manufacturing employment fell by 33,000, with the fabricated metal products field taking the biggest hit. The industry has cut 353,000 jobs in the past year.

The health care industry’s growth was healthy. Employment in ambulatory health care services rose by 13,000 last month. Since last June, health care has added 348,000 jobs.

Government employment is also strong. It has grown by 257,000 over the past year, with local government accounting for about two-thirds of that growth.

Before the construction industry can hire more workers, private and public projects need to find the money to pay for the projects. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over the next five years for building costs in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that 47,500 jobs can be created for every $1 billion of infrastructure investment.

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