Despite press accounts of projects being cancelled due to high materials costs, interest rates, and the distraction of the presidential election, construction employment in the last year has been generally on the upside in every region of the country, with particular gains noted in Texas.
According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, new jobs were recorded in 34 states as well as the District of Columbia from January 2024 to this most recent January. Fifteen states saw a decline, with Maine posting no changes for the year.
The BLS report, State and Metro Employment, Hours & Earnings, notes that besides Texas, with an overall gain of nearly 19,000 new jobs last year, Florida was up by 10,700 jobs, followed by Ohio, with an 8,400 gain.
Previous year to year job gainers such as California were on the downside, with the Golden State recording a loss of 27,600 jobs, and New York, off by 11,700. To the surprise of many, Arizona, despite an ongoing data center construction boom, saw a decline of 7,700 jobs.
Jobs along the Eastern seaboard proved particularly fleeting, with Massachusetts off by 6,700 jobs and Maryland down by roughly 6,000. West Virginia also fared badly, recording a loss of 1,100 jobs.
In an analysis of the BLS report put together by the Associated General Contractors of America, it was noted that construction job gains have been less widespread in recent months.
Ken Simonson, chief economist for the AGC, remarked: “Some of the job losses in January may be due to bad weather, but many owners have paused projects in the face of rising uncertainty about funding and tariffs.”
March 24, 202
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
