Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2009) – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report released today shows 59,000 construction jobs lost in the last month – a significant improvement from the average of 117,000 construction jobs lost in the previous six months. Currently, more than 1,768,000 construction workers are jobless and construction unemployment is at 19.2 percent. Since the start of 2007, 1,434,000 construction jobs have been lost.
LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – is leading the effort to get our economy back on track by putting people to work building America’s roads, bridges, schools, mass-transit, water systems and new energy systems, while leaving behind a positive legacy for generations to come.
LIUNA General President Terry O’Sullivan made the following statement on today’s jobs report:

While the loss of 59,000 construction jobs last month is not good news, we are seeing the impact of the economic recovery plan as construction workers go back to work building America and job loss slows. We know what’s working to get people back to work – we need to do more of it. The economic recovery plan has helped cut the number of construction jobs lost, but even after the economic recovery investments to build America take full effect – expected to create about 700,000 construction jobs – there will still be more than 1 million construction workers looking for work. To fully revive the construction industry and our economy we need a much greater investment to build America, including through the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill and the water bill currently pending in the Senate.

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