Construction's hourly wages 10% higher than private sector's

New analysis from the Associated General Contractors of America backs up what many in the industry already know: Construction firms are having to pay higher wages to attract skilled workers from a shrinking labor pool. Average hourly earnings in construction - a measure of all wages and salaries - increased 3.2% over the year to $30.73, 10% higher than the private-sector average of $27.90, the association said. In addition to raising pay and benefits, many firms have told the AGC that they have increased investments in training as they recruit workers with little to no prior experience in construction. Most of the construction job growth during the past year came from the nonresidential construction sector, which added 146,700 jobs during the past year, according to federal data. Meanwhile, residential contractors added 78,000 jobs in the same time period.