Contractors see
weaker conditions as steel jumps yet again.
The unemployment rate jumped to 5.1% from 4.8% in February and 4.4% in
March 2007. BLS Commissioner Keith Hall observed,
“The construction industry lost
51,000 jobs over the month, with decreases
concentrated in residential and nonresidential specialty trade contracting.
Since its peak in September 2006, construction employment has fallen by 394,000….in
manufacturing, there were job
declines in several construction-related
industries-wood products, furniture and nonmetallic minerals.”