Alexandria, VA – Forty-three states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between June 2017 and June 2018, while 32 states and D.C. added construction jobs between May and June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials cautioned that continued job gains may depend on improving the training and education pipeline for workers to enter the industry.
Association officials said the job gains mask the difficulty contractors face in finding workers with appropriate skills. They noted the Trump administration had highlighted the importance of training and apprenticeship programs at a White House event on Thursday. They urged federal agencies and Congress to enact a new Perkins Act that increases funding and makes it easier for education officials to craft construction-focused education programs.
Texas added the most construction jobs during the past year (42,900 jobs, 6.0%). Other states adding a large number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months include California (39,800 jobs, 4.9%), Florida (29,300 jobs, 5.8%), Georgia (16,100 jobs, 8.8%), Arizona (14,800 jobs, 10.2%) and Michigan (13,200 jobs, 8.1%). Arizona, Georgia and Michigan added the highest percentages of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Nevada (7.6%, 6,400 jobs) and Oregon (7.5%, 7,300 jobs). Construction employment reached a record high in Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York and Texas.
