Construction employment has seen an increase in 41 states and the District of Columbia over the past year, with 23 states and D.C. adding jobs from October to November, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. The data highlights ongoing challenges in finding qualified workers.
Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, commented on the situation: “While job growth has been widespread over the past year, the more limited growth in the latest month may be a sign of the difficulty contractors face in finding qualified workers.” He added that more states could have added construction employees if there were enough qualified workers available.
Over the last 12 months, Texas led with 32,200 new construction jobs, followed by Florida with 28,700 jobs. Alaska recorded the highest percentage gain at 20.3 percent. In contrast, California experienced a loss of 11,500 jobs during this period.
In terms of monthly changes from October to November, Florida saw an increase of 7,600 construction jobs. Minnesota had a notable percentage gain at 2.1 percent. Indiana faced significant losses both numerically and percentage-wise.
The association is calling for workforce authorizations to help fill vacant positions within the industry. Jeffrey D. Shoaf emphasized this need: “Building a strong and competitive U.S. economy starts with having sufficient skilled construction workers.”
