According to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 5, 2013 the unemployment rates for construction and extraction occupations are improving. The rate of unemployment in construction dropped 2.5 between March of 2012 and the rate of unemployment in extraction fell by 0.5.
| Unemployed construction workers | Unemployed extraction workers | Unemployment rate for construction workers | Unemployment rate for extraction workers | |
| March 2012 | 1,431,000 | 62,000 | 17.2 | 6.6 |
| March 2013 | 1,195,000 | 72,000 | 14.7 | 6.1 |