This article originally appeared on Prosales.
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia saw rises in construction jobs between September 2017 and September 2018, according to data released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Additionally, the report indicates that 29 states and the District of Columbia added jobs between August and September.
While the continued job gains indicate an "exceptional business environment," Association officials noted the continued difficulty in hiring qualified workers could increase costs and extend construction times. AGC chief economist Ken Simonson said that further employment gains may be difficult, given low unemployment in most states and an "inadequate pipeline for training future construction workers."
Florida, Georgia, and Arizona added the largest amount of new construction jobs in percentage terms, while California, Texas, and New York added high amounts of new construction jobs in pure numbers. AGC research indicates that construction employment has reached a record high in five states: Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Texas. New Jersey, Kentucky, and Missouri were the only states to see construction employment decrease year-to-year, while employment stagnated in Missouri and Maryland.
In the past month, however, construction employment declined in 17 states, with Michigan, California, and New Jersey losing the most jobs from August to September. Pennsylvania had the largest one-month job gain among the 30 locations that added construction jobs in the past month.
While the numbers indicate employment is up in the construction industry, a recent August AGC survey indicated that 80% of construction firms were having trouble hiring hourly craftsmen and 81% anticipated hiring would either remain difficult or become harder.
