Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between March 2017 and March 2018, while 29 states added construction jobs between February and March, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials said the job gains are coming amid strong private-sector demand and new public-sector investments in school and airport construction.
"Construction employment continues to expand in most parts of the country as private-sector demand remains strong and limited, new public investments in infrastructure are beginning to have an impact," said chief economist Ken Simonson. "The two greatest risks to future construction job growth are a lack of available, qualified workers and the potential impacts of new tariffs being imposed by and on the United States."
California added the most construction jobs (54,400 jobs, 6.8%) during the past year. Other states adding a large number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months include Texas (34,000 jobs, 4.8%); Florida (31,600 jobs, 6.3%); Pennsylvania (13,600 jobs, 5.6%) and Michigan (12,100 jobs, 7.5%). West Virginia (11.2%, 3,400 jobs) added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Nevada (9.0%, 7,500 jobs); Idaho (8.6%, 3,800 jobs); Massachusetts (7.7%, 11,500 jobs) and New Mexico (7.6%, 3,400 jobs).
Twelve states shed construction jobs between March 2017 and March 2018. North Dakota lost the highest total and percentage of construction jobs (-4,300 jobs, -14.8 percent), followed by Iowa (-3,900 jobs, -5.0 percent); Kansas (-2,500 jobs, -4.1%); Nebraska (-2,000 jobs, -3.8%) and New Jersey (-1,800 jobs, -1.2%). In addition to North Dakota, other states that lost a high percentage of construction jobs for the month included Iowa; Kansas; Nebraska and Hawaii (-2.4%, -900 jobs).
Twenty-nine states added construction jobs between February and March. Texas added the most (3,800 jobs, 0.5%), followed by Wisconsin (2,300 jobs, 1.9%); Florida (2,200 jobs, 0.4%); Michigan (1,600 jobs, 0.9%) and Missouri (1,400 jobs, 1.2%). Alaska added the highest percentage of construction jobs for the month (2.6%, 400 jobs), followed by Wisconsin; Iowa (1.8%, 1,300 jobs); Kentucky (1.3%, 1,000 jobs) and Missouri.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia lost construction jobs between February and March, while construction employment was unchanged in Vermont and Wyoming. New York lost the most construction jobs for the month (-5,200 jobs, -1.3%), followed by California (-4,400 jobs, -0.5%); New Jersey (-1,400 jobs, -0.9%); Arizona (-1,200 jobs, -0.8%) and Minnesota (-1,000 jobs, -0.8%). Rhode Island lost the highest percentage of construction jobs (-2.6%, -500 jobs), followed by Hawaii (-1.9%, -700 jobs); West Virginia (-1.7%, -600 jobs); South Dakota (-1.7%, -400 jobs) and New York.
Association officials said the widespread job gains were welcome news, but cautioned that new tariffs announced by the Trump administration and counter measures from other trading partners could undermine demand for construction of shipping, logistics and manufacturing facilities. "There are better ways to address trade imbalances than by undermining domestic economic growth," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer.
View the state employment data by rank and state. View the state employment map.
Related Stories
Contractors | Jun 7, 2024
First-in-nation law requires contractors to pay prevailing wage for subsidized housing projects in Minnesota
Minnesota recently adopted a first-in-nation law that requires contractors to pay prevailing wage for subsidized housing projects in the state. This action makes Minnesota the first state in the nation to mandate prevailing wages on projects funded by federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
Education Facilities | Jun 6, 2024
Studio Gang designs agricultural education center for the New York City Housing Authority
Earlier this month, the City of New York broke ground on the new $18.2 million Marlboro Agricultural Education Center (MAEC) at the New York City Housing Authority’s Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn. In line with the mission of its nonprofit operator, The Campaign Against Hunger, MAEC aims to strengthen food autonomy and security in underserved neighborhoods. MAEC will provide Marlboro Houses with diverse, community-oriented programs.
Contractors | Jun 4, 2024
Contractors expect to spend more time on prefabrication, according to FMI study
Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors. FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.
Airports | Jun 3, 2024
SOM unveils ‘branching’ structural design for new Satellite Concourse 1 at O’Hare Airport
The Chicago Department of Aviation has revealed the design for Satellite Concourse 1 at O’Hare International Airport, one of the nation’s business airports. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA), and Arup, the concourse will be the first new building in the Terminal Area Program, the largest concourse area expansion and revitalization in the airport’s almost seven-decade history.
Construction Costs | Jun 3, 2024
Escalation: Predicting project costs in a volatile market
Thad Berkes, Chief Cost Estimator, Design Collaborative, shares that one of the major hurdles that Design Collaborative attempts to forecast for its commercial construction projects is escalation.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 3, 2024
Grassroots groups becoming a force in housing advocacy
A growing movement of grassroots organizing to support new housing construction is having an impact in city halls across the country. Fed up with high housing costs and the commonly hostile reception to new housing proposals, advocacy groups have sprung up in many communities to attend public meetings to speak in support of developments.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
New York’s office to residential conversion program draws interest from 64 owners
New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program has been contacted by the owners of 64 commercial buildings interested in converting their properties to residential use.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
Seattle mayor wants to scale back energy code to spur more housing construction
Seattle’s mayor recently proposed that the city scale back a scheduled revamping of its building energy code to help boost housing production. The proposal would halt an update to the city’s multifamily and commercial building energy code that is scheduled to take effect later this year.
Mass Timber | May 31, 2024
Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions
Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.
Construction Costs | May 31, 2024
Despite challenges, 2024 construction material prices continue to stabilize
Gordian’s Q2 2024 Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report indicates that supply chain issues notwithstanding, many commodities are exhibiting price normalization.
