Only 23 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between September and October while construction employment increased in 35 states between October 2015 and October 2016, according to analysis of Labor Department data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Association officials said declining public-sector investments in infrastructure and other public projects were undermining construction employment growth in many parts of the country.
“Firms that perform public-sector work are having a hard time finding enough work to keep their teams together,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the association, noting that public-sector spending on construction is down 2.2 percent for the first nine months of 2016. “These firms would definitely benefit, and be able to handle, the kinds of infrastructure investments the President-elect and Congress have been discussing.”
Michigan added the most construction jobs between September and October (6,000 jobs, 4.0 percent). Nevada (3,600 jobs, 4.7 percent) added the highest percentage of construction jobs during the past month.
Construction employment declined in 23 states during the past month and held steady in four other states. Illinois shed more construction jobs than any other state (-3,300 jobs, -1.5 percent), while Delaware lost the highest percentage of construction jobs between September and October (-2.8 percent, -600 jobs).
California added the most construction jobs (34,100 jobs, 4.6 percent) between October 2015 and October 2016. Iowa (13.2 percent, 10,400 jobs) added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year. Illinois lost the highest number of construction jobs (-5,500 jobs, -2.5 percent) in a year-on-year comparison.