Nearly two out of three U.S. metro areas added construction jobs between October 2020 and October 2021, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials noted that the job gains would likely have been larger and more widespread if firms weren’t dealing with the twin challenges of supply chain problems and labor shortages.
“While it is heartening that construction is recovering from the lows of 2020 in much of the country, the pandemic is still causing major supply-chain problems and is keeping some workers from seeking employment,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Those impediments threaten to limit construction employment gains in many metros.”
Construction employment increased in 236 or 66% of 358 metro areas over the last 12 months. Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-
Construction employment declined from a year earlier in 72 metros and held steady in 50. Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. lost the most jobs (-6,700 or -8%), followed by New York City (-5,500 jobs, -3%); Orange-Rockland-Westchester counties, N.Y. (-3,600 jobs, -8%); Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (-2,800 jobs, -2%) and Calvert-Charles-Prince George’s counties, Md. (-2,600 jobs, -8%). The largest percentage declines were in Evansville, Ind.-Ky. (-17%, -1,700 jobs); Altoona, Pa. (-13%, -400 jobs); Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. (-11%, -200 jobs); and Gary, Ind. (-10%, -1,700 jobs).
Association officials urged the Biden administration to continue working to reduce tariffs on key construction materials, and to take additional steps to ease supply chain problems at ports and other shipping facilities. They added that the association was working to recruit more people into the construction industry, and the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill should send a positive message to many workers about the expanding career opportunities in construction.
“Firms are struggling to source materials for projects, coping with rising prices for those materials, all while eagerly searching for workers to put those materials in place,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “We are eager to work with public officials to address supply chain challenges even as we work to recruit more people into high-paying construction careers.”
View the metro employment data, rankings, top 10, and new highs and lows.
Related Stories
Contractors | Jun 12, 2024
The average U.S. contractor has 8.3 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of May 2024
Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.3 months in May, according to an ABC member survey conducted May 20 to June 4. The reading is down 0.6 months from May 2023.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 11, 2024
Rents rise in multifamily housing for May 2024
Multifamily rents rose for the fourth month in a row, according to the May 2024 National Multifamily Report. Up 0.6% year-over-year, the average U.S. asking rent increased by $6 in May, up to $1,733.
Construction Costs | May 16, 2024
New download: BD+C's May 2024 Market Intelligence Report
Building Design+Construction's monthly Market Intelligence Report offers a snapshot of the health of the U.S. building construction industry, including the commercial, multifamily, institutional, and industrial building sectors. This report tracks the latest metrics related to construction spending, demand for design services, contractor backlogs, and material price trends.
Contractors | May 15, 2024
The average U.S. contractor has 8.4 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of April 2024
Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.4 months in April, according to an ABC member survey conducted April 22 to May 6. The reading is down 0.5 months from April 2023, but expanded 0.2 months from the prior month.
Healthcare Facilities | May 6, 2024
Hospital construction costs for 2024
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.
Contractors | May 1, 2024
Nonresidential construction spending rises 0.2% in March 2024 to $1.19 trillion
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.2% in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.19 trillion.
AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024
Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption
Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI.Â
Hotel Facilities | Apr 24, 2024
The U.S. hotel construction market sees record highs in the first quarter of 2024
As seen in the Q1 2024 U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), at the end of the first quarter, there are 6,065 projects with 702,990 rooms in the pipeline. This new all-time high represents a 9% year-over-year (YOY) increase in projects and a 7% YOY increase in rooms compared to last year.
Construction Costs | Apr 18, 2024
New download: BD+C's April 2024 Market Intelligence Report
Building Design+Construction's monthly Market Intelligence Report offers a snapshot of the health of the U.S. building construction industry, including the commercial, multifamily, institutional, and industrial building sectors. This report tracks the latest metrics related to construction spending, demand for design services, contractor backlogs, and material price trends.
Market Data | Apr 16, 2024
The average U.S. contractor has 8.2 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of March 2024
Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.2 months in March from 8.1 months in February, according to an ABC member survey conducted March 20 to April 3. The reading is down 0.5 months from March 2023.