Construction loses 6,000 jobs in August

Though July snapped a three-month streak of jobs losses for the U.S. construction industry, August brought another dip with a decrease of 6,000 workers.

Construction employment is now estimated at 6.640 million Americans, a 3-percent increase over the August 2015 mark, according to preliminary data from the Labor Department.

The department’s latest data also revised the July employment total from the previously reported 6.652 million down to 6.646 million, downgrading that month’s employment report from a gain of 14,000 jobs to a gain of 11,000 jobs.

The industry’s unemployment rate rose for the first time in six months, increasing from 4.5 percent to 5.1 percent.

The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs during August, with unemployment flat at 4.9 percent.

Construction employment since 2006