Construction spending sank to an 11-year low in February, and 1,000 construction jobs were lost in March, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

"The ongoing drop in construction employment in March, combined with the news that construction spending hit an 11-year low in February, is doubly distressing," said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. "Despite a few signs of an upturn, the industry as a whole has yet to touch bottom five full years after the peak in employment and spending."

The construction sector’s unemployment rate is now 20 percent, according to the report. The industry’s unemployment rate is the highest of any industry and more than double the overall national rate.

"If the construction industry was expanding instead of shrinking, this month’s jobs numbers would have been much higher," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. "Our economic recovery will not reach its full potential until the construction depression comes to an end."