LoginConstruction hiring in the U.S. is on the rise, thanks in part to investments being made by homeowners on their current properties.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the increase in building activity is also helping boost confidence levels among builders.
Kermit Baker, a senior fellow at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, said many new owners also began construction remodeling shortly after moving in to their new homes, pointing to signs of a "strengthening market."
"More remodeling projects are going to create more jobs in the construction industry," said Baker, who also is the chief economist for the American Institute of Architects.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people working in the residential remodeling business grew 5.8 percent from December 2010 to December 2011.
In the Washington D.C. area, where residential construction began to rebound earlier than the rest of the county, building activity appears to be driven now by multi-family construction, according to The Washington Post.
Construction of single-family homes, including townhouses and smaller units, in the District is also expected to pick up this year.