Construction firms added 25,000 employees in January and raised wages for hourly workers more steeply than other sectors, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data.

Construction firms added 28,000 employees in December and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more than other sectors, as the industry’s unemployment rate fell to a record low for the month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data.

Construction companies added 20,000 employees in November and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more steeply than other sectors as the industry’s unemployment rate tumbled, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials said the data shows that firms would have added significantly more workers if they could find more people to hire.

The U.S Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced it will be asking the building construction industries to participate in Davis-Bacon Act wage surveys in FY 2023 to help the agency establish prevailing wage rates, as required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

The construction industry added only 1,000 employees in October while it continued to boost wages for hourly workers, as firms compete to hire from a small labor pool, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials said the small increase in construction employment is an indication of how hard it has become for construction firms to find qualified workers to hire.

The homebuilding sector is hiring more workers and increasing wages — and that could mean more affordable housing is on the way.