Construction employment increased in 39 states and Washington, D.C., between September 2018 and September 2019, according to an analysis of government data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). The 12-month increase is consistent with recent data reports from the AGC. Thirty-nine states and D.C. added jobs in the 12-month period after August 2018, 40 states added construction jobs between July 2018 and July 2019, and 42 states added jobs between June 2018 and June 2019.
The AGC also found construction employment increased in 28 states between August and September, in line with the 29 states that added construction jobs from July to August. Prior to July, month-to-month changes in construction employment were positive in more than 30 states dating back to May.
“Although evidence is mounting that the overall economy is slowing, contractors in most states are still eager to hire,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist of the AGC. “But they are unable to find qualified workers in some cases, and job openings in construction have soared as unemployment rates are at historic lows in many states.”
In the 12-month period between September 2018 and September 2019, Texas, California, Arizona, Florida, and Nevada added the most construction jobs in pure numbers. Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and New Hampshire added the highest percentage of industry jobs during the same period, according to the AGC. Construction employment reached record highs in Nebraska, Texas, and Washington. Louisiana lost the largest number and highest percentage of construction jobs in the past year.
On a month-to-month basis, Texas, Arizona, and Indiana added the most jobs between August and September in pure numbers, while Hawaii, Idaho, and Nevada added the highest percentage of construction jobs in the month. Virginia lost the most construction jobs in the past month while North Dakota experienced the steepest percentage decline of industry jobs between August and September.