On Friday, the US Labor Department reported that 96,000 jobs were created in August, down substantially from the 163,000 non-farm jobs added in July. The unemployment rate actually fell 0.2 percent to 8.1 percent from July to August, but the decline was driven by fewer Americans searching for work.
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) said Friday that construction employment increased by 1,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate dropped to 11.3 percent. The AGC said that construction employment gains for the past month and past year have largely come from the residential sector. The residential construction sector added 7,100 jobs between July and August and 23,900 jobs since August 2011. Residential building contractors actually lost 1,000 jobs in August, but have gained 5,200 for the year.
In Canada, employment rose by 34,000 in August after a decline in July, according to a report Friday from Statistics Canada. The unemployment rate held steady at 7.3 percent. On a year-over-year basis, employment increased by 1 percent or 177,000, with most of the gains occurring in the spring of this year.