Construction Employment Continues to Rise Year-to-Year

Thirty six states plus the District of Columbia have added construction jobs since September.

By Vincent Salandro

This article originally appeared on BUILDER's sister site, ProSales.

Forty-four states and Washington, D.C. have added construction jobs between October 2017 and October 2018, according to data released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). This pattern closely follows the AGC's findings for September, when forty-five states and the District of Columbia saw rises in construction-related jobs.

Additionally, 36 states and the nation's capital have added construction jobs between September and October, up from 29 states and D.C. between August and September.

AGC officials said firms in most part of the country are able to add staff to keep pace with growing demand, but cautioned that rising labor and materials costs could undermine future demand.

"Construction activity continues to expand at a steady clip, with employment growing by more than 10% during the past year in five states and by more than 5% in another 18 states," chief economist Ken Simonson said. "As contractors pay more for labor and most of the materials they use to build, construction costs will climb, potentially dampening future demand for their services."

Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, and New Hampshire all increased construction employment by more than 10% in the past 12 months, while Texas, Florida, California, and Georgia added the most jobs in pure numbers. AGC research indicates that construction employment in Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington has reached record-high levels. New Jersey, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Mississippi all saw construction job growth decline year-to-year. Between September to October, Louisiana lost the most jobs in pure numbers while Mississippi saw construction growth decline by the largest percentage.

AGC officials said construction employment gains indicate demand for construction services is strong in most parts of the country. However, without investments in career and technical education and other related factors, officials say labor and material costs will continue to rise.