US construction jobs reach highest level since August 2009

Construction payrolls climbed for the sixth-straight month in November, reaching a preliminary estimate of 5,851,000. That’s a 17,000-job gain from October’s 5,834,000 print, and the highest level since August 2009.

We recently learned construction spending surged nearly one percent in October, the biggest jump since at least June. We are still well below where we were during last decade’s boom years.  But, for what it’s worth, it also matches the figure from August 1997.