Construction employment has risen in 31 states and the District of Columbia over the course of the past year, with 30 states showing gains between February and March, reports the Associated General Contractors of America. This analysis of federal employment data highlights Texas and New Mexico as the states with the highest job gains in number and percentage respectively. Meanwhile, California and Washington have seen significant declines.
“Construction job gains have continued in a majority of states but the increases are less widespread and robust than in 2024,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. He emphasized the importance of allowing contractors to recruit from abroad due to retirements and other labor shortages. Texas, in particular, added 28,700 jobs — the most in the country — equating to a 3.4 percent increase. Ohio follows with 16,600 new positions.
Conversely, California experienced the most profound job losses, shedding 23,400 positions. Washington is close behind with a loss of 11,900 jobs, marking a 5.3 percent reduction. The monthly data reveals that Texas saw the largest monthly increase with 8,500 jobs added, whereas California lost 3,700 jobs, the steepest decline for the month.
The report also underlines a call from the association for policymakers to broaden worker authorization programs. “The administration can’t meet its goal of bringing back manufacturing jobs unless there are enough construction workers with the right skills,” asserted Jeffrey Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. He advocates for worker authorization programs to be expanded to boost the capacity of the construction workforce for vital projects.
