Construction employment has reached an all-time high in Colorado, reports Ben Markus for Colorado Public Radio.
More than 171,000 are now employed in construction in Colorado, with the state finally surpassing the employment peak from before the recession. The number of construction jobs has risen 54 percent since bottoming out in 2011. That’s helping push wages up as builders are desperate for qualified workers.
Builders received approval for 20,872 new housing units in Colorado through May 2018, a 27 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the Census Bureau. Single family detached homes are leading the way, a good sign since that indicates product for sale rather than for rent. That’s not to say apartment, and attached housing, construction is slowing. In 2018 so far, 8,348 units received approval for construction, the most since at least 2006.
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