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Construction job market red hot in Volusia-Flagler

With the U.S. unemployment rate falling to a new 50-year low of 3.6 percent in April, the number of construction jobs in the Volusia-Flagler area has risen to a new post-recession high.

Builders and subcontractors in the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach metro area added 1,300 jobs in March to boost the number of workers employed in construction to 14,800, according to U.S. Department of Labor data. Figures for April won’t be available until later this month.

The 10 percent increase locally compared to the 13,500 employed in Volusia-Flagler the same month a year ago was the 23rd biggest jump in construction employment in the nation, according to a new report by the Associated General Contractors of America.

The construction employment increase locally is being fueled by a surge in housing starts, new apartments, commercial development and public construction projects.

Building permits for new homes in Volusia County are up 19 percent so far this year, as of March 31, putting the county on pace for its strongest year for new home construction since 2005.

Permits for new homes in Flagler are down nearly 13 percent year-over-year through the first three months, according to the Flagler Home Builders Association.

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