November was the 14th-consecutive month in which construction’s unemployment rate was less than its year-earlier level.

For the first time in many months, construction did not record the highest jobless rate among major U.S. industries. Agriculture ranked highest in November, at 14.9%, bumping construction to second place.

The overall U.S. unemployment rate improved to 8.6% in November, from October’s 9.0%, as the economy added 120,000 jobs for the month, BLS reported.

Mark H. Ayers, president of the AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Dept., said that overall unemployment rate is “cause for optimism,” but added that “there are no celebrations being planned throughout the U.S. construction industry today.” He noted that the industry’s November rate did not change sharply from October’s.

Ayers and AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr called on Congress to act on legislation to fund infrastructure work, which, they said, would give construction employment a lift.