Job Prospects for Roofers Still Looking Up While some builders and general contractors have experienced declining housing starts due to the mortgage crisis and other factors; roofing is still looking up. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, employment prospects for roofers remain strong. Roofers are less affected by economic downturns because most roofing work consists of repair and re-roofing rather than just new construction. No matter how poor the economy, home and business owners still need roof repairs since water damage to building interiors, furniture, carpeting, etc. outweigh the cost of a new roof. Roofs deteriorate faster than most parts of buildings, so they need to be repaired and replaced more often. As the number of buildings (and their roofs) continues to age, demands for roofers are expected to grow. Future job openings related to roofing will arise from the need to replace workers leaving the occupation. There is a larger turnover in roofing due to the working conditions, which are often hot, strenuous and dirty. These factors, along with safety issues cited, cause many people to switch from roofing to other construction trades. Roofers held approximately 156,000 jobs nationwide in 2006. The vast majority of salaried roofers worked for roofing contractors. Only 20 percent were self-employed and they usually specialized in residential work. The Department of Labor Statistics expects employment of roofers to grow about 14 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is faster than average for all occupations.