Bloomberg (02/22/12)

Construction hiring is on an upswing as people invest in home renovations amid indications that the housing market is improving. Another hiring driver comes from “pent-up demand” by people who can’t afford to move, says Ellen Zentner, a senior economist at Nomura Securities International. The number of people working in residential remodeling climbed 5.8% in December to 250,700, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, the number of residential remodelers lags behind the September 2006 peak by more than 76,000, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor.