• While overall employment in the State of Ohio increased 1.38% between 1997 and 2002, employment within the construction industry rose by 14.75%, creating 33,094 new construction jobs as well as 808 new construction establishments founded in 5 years.

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 224,302 individuals employed in the construction industry in Ohio in 1997 and 257,396 in 2002, an increase of 14.75% in 5 years. 

• While the average worker in Ohio brought home $32,192 in pay in 2002, the state’s construction workers made on average $35,630, an increase of 9.65% more than the average worker in Ohio. 

• Construction employees in Ohio made $35,630 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 Ohio dropped from 202,528 in 1997 to 201,566 in 2002, a decrease of -0.47%.  Construction establishments in Ohio however, increased by 3.10% from 26,047 in 1997 to 26,855 in 2002.

• According to Union Membership and Coverage Database, available at www.unionstats.com, in 2006, only 20.1 percent of Ohio’s private construction workforce belonged to a construction trade union.  That means that approximately 80 out of 100 Ohio’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 Ohio is $67,853 for new construction, and $20,955 for remodeling.