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
| Jul 9, 2014
Dragon-inspired hotel conveys Vietnamese hospitality [2014 Building Team Awards]
An international Building Team unites to create Vietnam’s first JW Marriott luxury property.
| Jul 9, 2014
The one misstep that could be slowing your company’s growth
Change. It’s inevitable. And success for any professional may very well depend on how well we adapt to it. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Jul 8, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's posthumous gas station opens in Buffalo
Eighty-seven years after Frank Lloyd Wright designed an ornamental gas station for the city of Buffalo, the structure has been built and opened to the public—inside an auto museum.
| Jul 7, 2014
Team unity pays off for a new hospital in Maine [2014 Building Team Awards]
Extensive use of local contractors, vendors, and laborers brings a Maine hospital project in months ahead of schedule.
| Jul 7, 2014
A climate-controlled city is Dubai's newest colossal project
To add to Dubai's already impressive portfolio of world's tallest tower and world's largest natural flower garden, Dubai Holding has plans to build the world's largest climate-controlled city.
| Jul 7, 2014
How to keep an employee from jumping ship
The secret to keeping your best employees productive and happy isn’t throwing money at them, as studies have continuously shown that money isn’t the top factor in employee happiness. Here are four strategies from leadership coach Kristi Hedges. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Jul 3, 2014
Gehry edits Canadian skyscraper plan to be 'more Toronto'
After being criticized for the original tower complex, architect Frank Gehry unveils a new design that is more subtle, and "more Toronto."
| Jul 2, 2014
First Look: Qatar World Cup stadium design references nomadic heritage
Organizers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, recently unveiled designs for the second stadium.
| Jul 2, 2014
SHoP designs what would be Brooklyn's tallest building
JDS Development partners with SHoP to construct a 70-story building at 775-feet tall, unprecedented for downtown Brooklyn.
| Jul 2, 2014
Grimshaw's 'kit of parts' design scheme selected for Qatar sports facilities program
The series of projects, called the Al Farjan Recreational Sports Facilities, have been designed in such a way that the same basic design can be adapted to the specific requirements of each site.