Construction unemployment in Minnesota nears rock-bottom

It's getting easier to find a construction job in Minnesota, and harder for employers to find construction workers.

Construction unemployment in the state fell to 2.1 percent in May, its lowest level since 2001, and the third-lowest rate in the country, according to estimates released Tuesday by Associated Builders and Contractors, a national trade group.

"There's a shortage, specifically, for skilled workers," said Bernie Markstein, the economist who made the estimates based on Department of Labor data. "Skilled workers left during the downturn, and many of them have not returned. Also during the downturn, training and apprenticeship programs were suspended."

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