According to the Labor Department's latest report, employers added 227,000 jobs in February. Economists were expecting slightly less.

The unemployment rate stayed the same at 8.3 percent.

Many industries, including manufacturing, restaurants and hotels, saw employment gains.

But the construction industry is still hemorrhaging and lost 13,000 jobs last month.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said slow housing sales are still hurting the industry.

"I don't see that's going to come back as soon as everyone would hope, because it hasn't recovered," Solis said.

Charlotte home builder Judson Stringfellow believes Charlotte is bucking the national trend in construction, and adding more jobs.

"Charlotte's always been very affordable, and it's even more so now at home prices the way they are and interest rates the way they are today," he said.