Dive Brief:

• More than 60% of the 393,000 long-term, skilled construction workers who lost their jobs during the recession have found new ones in the industry since the recovery began, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Among them, 6% work part-time and 10% work for themselves or for family businesses.

• The construction industry has added 609,000 jobs since January 2011—when employment was at its lowest. The industry’s 7.5% unemployment rate compares to 27.1% in February 2010, according to the BLS and the Associated General Contractors of America.

• According to the study, 40% of skilled workers are bringing home more in their post-recession paychecks. Another 30% are earning less.

Dive Insight:

Despite the good news for once-unemployed construction workers, the industry overall faces a shortage of skilled workers, according to the report. In fact, 30% of the construction firms in the study admitted they have had to turn down jobs because they didn't have enough manpower for them.