• While overall employment in the State of California increased 11.65% between 1997 and 2002, employment within the construction industry rose by 55.05%, creating 308,996 new construction jobs as well as 8,861 new construction establishments in 5 years.

• Construction employees in California made $37,901 on average in 2002, compared to $35,352, the national average salary in 2002 for construction workers across the United States.

• The number of businesses in California grew from 618,232 in 1997 to 673,484 in 2002, an increase of 8.94%.  Construction establishments in California however, increased by 14.73% from 60,162 in 1997 to 69,023 in 2002.

• Of the 55,252 new businesses established between 1997 and 2002 in California, 8,861 or 16.04% of those establishments were in the construction industry. 

• According to Union Membership and Coverage Database, available at www.unionstats.com, in 2006, only 17.5 percent of California’s private construction workforce belonged to a construction trade union.  That means that approximately 83 out of 100 California’s private construction workers do not belong to a labor union.

Data are from the U.S. Bureau of the Census except where noted.

• The dollar threshold amount for contract coverage under state prevailing wage laws in California is $1,000.